Rant #578: Life Goes On

Yesterday, September 11, 2011, was the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on our nation.

There were numerous anniversary events held across the country and around the world yesterday, including ceremonies at the epicenters of the attacks, at the Pentagon, the field in Pennsylvania, and in New York City at Ground Zero.

Thousands participated in these ceremonies.

Others took in the day for what it was, one of the last Sundays in the summer.

Some people went to baseball and football games, others shopped the day away.

My computer broke down, so I had to bring it in for repair (I am using another computer in the meantime).

A lot of people went to the movies. "Contagion" is the No. 1 movie right now.

Others went online, to their favorite sites, posting and chatting up a storm.

Lots of people watched TV and listened to radio. Many channels and stations carried live coverage of the day's events, others stayed with their standard programming.

Of course, some people had to work yesterday. I had off, making it the first full weekend I have had off in over a month (we have been putting in six days of work at my job lately).

I had pancakes for breakfast, nachos for lunch, and fish for dinner.

Later, my wife gave both my son and myself some ice cream.

My wife and I watched a movie last night. I can't even tell you what the DVD's name was, but it was a British crime film and for the first time, we had to use subtitles because the British accents were so thick. It was OK.

No matter what anyone did yesterday, the world mourned on the 10th anniversary of the tragedy of people hurting other people.

Some people mourn in different ways. Some people have to be right there where it all happened. Others need to spend money.

And neither way of handling the day is wrong.

There is no wrong and no right in this matter.

By being at a memorial, people showed solidarity with the event, and mourned their tragic losses of friends, family members and colleagues.

By shopping, people showed that the American way of life was simply dented, and not obliterated, by these horrendous, cowardly attacks.

As I said in the title of this Rant, "Life Goes On." And it does for us all, perhaps in different ways.

Nobody will ever forget that tragic day, and they won't forget it whether they were at a memorial or at Wal-Mart.

And that is the American way, and that American way continues to be the norm.

Hopefully, one day, those that hate us will see that, will see how strong we are as a country, and will stop trying to destroy us.

Because their efforts--as shown by the resilience we have shown since that fateful day--will ultimately be in vain.

My son, who was six years old when this tragedy happened, asked my wife and I about it yesterday. We explained everything to him the best way we knew how.

If there will be any burden of this day, it will fall on the shoulders of the kids who were either too young to realize what was happening on that day or on those who were born right after the tragedies happened.

But the day will live on in our lives. It won't be forgotten, but like Pearl Harbor day, V-E Day and the like, it won't burn this brilliantly in the succeeding decades.

Things have a way of evening themselves out. Those other days are days to remember, too, and they have never been forgotten.

But most of us don't shape our days around these events anymore.

The same will happen with 9/11.

Other generations will look upon the day as my generation did with those previously named special days.

They are parts of our country's history.

You can't expect succeeding generations to absorb everything that happened on September 11, 2001 like we are doing right now.

Unfortunately, I am sure they will have their days to do their own reflections.

That is how life works, and that is how life will continue to play itself out in the years to come.