Its customary each year on 9/11 to reflect on the event, how it affected us, and our memory of the event. On this 20th anniversary of 9/11, I am feeling more reflective than normal; maybe it’s the recent events in Afghanistan, maybe it’s my age.
I still vividly remember the event, I was 12 years old, and my mom came and woke me up, saying, “The news is saying the Pentagon was just bombed.” I was a bit of a nerd and loved to read up on military history, and my mind immediately began cycling through all of America’s enemies. I went out, and we watched the news of the unfolding horror, the burning Pentagon, the collapse of the iconic twin towers, and the endless speculation of who or what caused this horrifying event.
I remember picking up the phone and calling my best friend and leaving a message about what was going on, he was out at the time, so I sadly hung up the phone and returned to the TV. Over the next few days, I was glued to the TV, seeing the survivors talk about what happened, seeing the footage from the ground of the evil-looking cloud of dust enveloping the city of Manhattan.
For some reason, one of the memories that I remember best was a town hall event hosted by Journalist Peter Jennings. He stood in the middle of a large crowd, made up of kids and adults, and just talked with everyone; I think it resonated with me because it was real people like me trying to work through a horrible event.
I remember the feeling when the news carried images of our special forces going into Afghanistan after the terrorists and the shock and awe of our air force bombing the crap out of the enemy at the battle of Tora Bora. I never felt more like an American and more Patriotic than I did at that moment.
As this 20th anniversary of 9/11 comes, I think about why this event scarred us so badly, and my mind drifts to the film “Zack Snyder’s Justice League” that was released on HBO Max in March of this year. There is a scene on the fortress island of Themyscira, home of the amazons, at one of their holiest sites. The villain Steppenwolf arrives at the site and attacks it, killing all in his path. What he says stuck with me, “I’ve come to enlighten you to the great darkness, I will bathe in your fear” most of the Amazons were young, and had never experienced war before, only to be attacked in a place they felt most safe.
In much the same way, America was attacked where we felt safe, in a place of our greatest strength and power (Military and Economic). My friends and I were all young; we had never experienced war or terrorism personally before. And I remember the fear we all felt, how we did not feel safe anywhere, Indeed Al-Qaeda bathed in our fear that day.
However, as tragedy often does, it brought out the best in us as a nation; people from all over the country journeyed to ground zero and helped rescue survivors. To clothe and feed first responders, and then they joined the military to avenge the dead, both political parties all joined together on the steps of the capital and sang “God bless America” in a rare scene of unity.
Much as we saw in Justice League, exceptional heroes rose to the occasion to save lives and defeat evil, men, and women who were ordinary on 9/10 and yet were then extraordinary on 9/11. My generation lost its innocence on 9/11; we were enlightened to the great darkness that day. I am grateful to have seen not only the darkness but the light, the stories of miracles for those trapped, the everyday kindnesses and good deeds done, even just handing a bottle of water to a tired first responder.
So, on this 20th anniversary of 9/11 take a moment to remember those who lost their lives, but also the heroes who stepped up and, like the Amazons told the great darkness, “We have no fear.”
