five years later...

I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on the 5th anniversary of 9-11. I don’t have any incredibly personal and heart-breaking stories to tell, but just need a place to reflect for a bit.

Last night a neighbor told me that she doesn’t talk about 9-11 because she feels she doesn’t have the right. She says she wasn’t affected enough. Her having actually lived in New York, I can see why she would possibly feel this. But, I feel that everyone was affected. It changed our way of life in America. It affected our economy. It gave us a fear from which we may never recover. It bonded all Americans and gave us a renewed since of patriotism. It made us appreciate things in a new light. We were all affected, though on a variety of levels.

I consider myself blessed that I did not know anyone that was killed or injured by what happened this day five years ago. But I still mourn for our country and what this has created. In five years, we have accepted the tighter restrictions in airports, sporting arenas, etc. We have adjusted to being at war…five years and there’s no end in sight.

I was at a professional football game yesterday. Beforehand, there was the typical display of patriotism. The national anthem, a large flag on the field, colors presented by uniformed officers a jet flown overhead and even a special presentation from The Citadel’s Summerall Guards. It was touching, but I’m the type that has always gotten misty-eyed at the sounds of the national anthem…even before the tragic event five years ago. However, as we sat in a stadium of 70,000 loud and rowdy fans, I was amazed at how silent the entire place was when the anthem was being sung. The level of respect that Americans possess for their country is awe-inspiring. The halftime show was also patriotic, with the entire field being covered the largest flag I've ever seen...held by the men and women of our armed forces. We were serenaded, yet again, with patriotic songs.

I think the reason I felt compelled to write something here is because I simply did not know what to do. I feel like something should be different today, but it’s not. I got up, went through my normal morning routine and came to work. I wore patriotic colors with a bracelet to match. On my way to work, I realized I forgot to switch out my small garden flag from a Gamecock flag to the American flag, and then I felt incredibly guilty. So, feeling compelled to do something, I wrote.

God Bless America.