Every
December 7, our country remembers the day that lives in infamy. The day that Japan shocked the world and changed the war by attacking Pearl Harbor. While, I know the significance of December 7, and try to imagine the horror and devastation that filled the hearts of people across this land, it is just that, an attempt to imagine.
Fast forward…September 11, 2001, a day that most people went about their normal routine. Arising to the sound of an alarm clock, going through the morning routine, kissing family goodbye, and heading off to work at the World Trade Centers, the Pentagon, or boarding an airplane. Their day filled with the nuances of jobs, meetings, travel, and such. Odds are no one that perished that day awoke thinking the plane I’m boarding will be flown into a building, the office I’m sitting in will be consumed by fire and smoke.
When the news broke we all remember where we were and what we were doing. In an instant September 11, became a day that would, for us, live in infamy. My three children were not yet born, for them September 11, is something that we see on television, something that they hear mom and dad discuss. But for us, it isn’t just history, it’s heart-wrenching. We were reminded once again that we are not in control. We were reminded that there is evil in the world that will stop at nothing to devour and destroy. 9-11 forces us to face our own mortality. Perhaps that’s why we cling to the stories of heroism and bravery related to that day. It diverts our attention away from the pain and loss and inspires hope in each of us.
The documentary, The Falling Man, takes us back to the personal side of what happened that day. What the people in the towers faced as they were confronted with fire, smoke, and the reality of their impending death. While we memorialize the brave acts of so many that day, let the story of the Falling Man cause us to think about our mortality and life.
I encourage you to take the time over this weekend to watch and remember all the aspects of 9-11.
