5 Years Later...

I woke up this morning and watched an unedited re-broadcast of the events of Sept. 11, 2001. It was incredibly eerie, and left me shaken all over again. Afterwards, while on my walk, I saw some folks out with flags (the kind with red-white-and-blue), and, just like 5 years ago, cars honked as they drove by. I remember those first days after the attacks as one of the most amazing periods I've ever experienced; there was a kinship and a unity among people everywhere that was just so palpable. We were in this thing together, and, for a short while, there was no such thing as a "stranger." I remember wondering how long it would last, wishing that it wouldn't end, but knowing it would. Regardless of what the bumper stickers say, people did forget. We need reminders, maybe more than once a year.
After my walk, I made a trip to the post office to ship out some packages. There was a long line, so I pulled a number from the machine... It's pinned to the board by my drawing table now, as my reminder.