9/11 R.I.P.

Here we are again another year later.  The media's calling it Day of Remembrance, though here in NYC it's impossible to not be reminded, on a daily basis, for 11 years now.

I have the utmost respect for those who lost their lives, those who had their lives torn apart, and celebrate the tremendous spirit of responders called to give of themselves for their fellows in need.  We shall, of course, remember and honor.  Let me first be clear that everything that follows is meant with the utmost respect.

I sometimes wonder about Pearl Harbor.  The two events were not the same, only just the most similar, the only similar events in American History.  There were many obvious differences but the similarities beg for comparison.  How was Pearl Harbor remembered and honored at the time?  How much did it take over the psyche of the country in the months and years afterward?  How long did it take to plan and build the memorial, for that matter.  Granted, the following wars were very different.  The difference I wonder about is the sensationalist media-driven world of modern day where we are constantly inundated with images and news of that horror.  If your family was a victim of a horrible tragedy, how would one be able to heal and move on with their lives if every day, day in and day out the reminders never stopped?

The question is not one of remembering or forgetting, but one of moving on.