Time passing on

I woke up this morning and checked my calendar and to do list to see what the day was and what it held. That simple daily act stopped me in my tracks, because this day is what it is, and it no longer felt like a big wound. Don't get me wrong. I still look on the events of September 11, 2001 as terrible. Stopping to think about them, I am still saddened, but I no longer grieve. I've moved on. Since I was just one of the millions watching the tragedies unfold on television and connecting with my family and friends by telephone, this is easier for me than it is for others.

I almost feel guilty. 9/11 has become something to be remembered as in "Remember The Maine" (which I don't, not even from history books) and "Remember The Alamo" (which I wonder if I really would remember if so many former Tennesseans hadn't been involved). That's sad. These events were as tragic in their day as 9/11 has been in ours, and now our national tragedy is also history.

Will I forget 9/11 and let it become just another date or slogan? No, I still remember the shock and fear. I remember debating getting my daughter from school that day, wanting to hold her near but ultimately deciding that security for her meant continuity of her routine. I remember the hindsight realization that my father really did have senile dementia when the events of 9/11 didn't really phase him. That combination of deeply personal reactions and collective national memories have secured 9/11's significance in my life.

Moving on is healthy, even if there is still a twinge that says this is wrong, and I should re-experience the horror of the day and the events. Moving on is what can enable us to move towards if not peace, then greater tenability with the Middle East. From tenability, perhaps sustainability is possible, and from there, maybe, just maybe we can more securely hope for peace.

9/11