Where Were You When September 11 Happened?

I know I'm certainly not unique when I say I was stunned beyond belief when the September 11 attacks occurred.

I remember, at the very least, the way that day started. September 11, 2001 marked the early stages of a new job for me and, for once, my husband and I were able to spend a little time together prior to our respective departures for work. At the time, he was with the Canadian military and I was teaching English and French to military personnel and their spouses. I was also really into watching Live With Regis and Kelly, largely because who doesn't need a good laugh in the morning?

I was in the washroom at the time, brushing my teeth or some other such bit of mundanity, when I heard my husband say, "You've got to see this."

I should point out now that my husband is not one given to bouts of drama or overstatement; as far as our relationship goes, I'm the emotive one who has no issues in being loud and enthusiastic about...well, pretty much anything. The memory of him saying those words stays with me, I think because there was something to the sound of his voice that struck me as odd. That could be the result of the tragedy of the day; I'm really not sure, but I recall that there was something about how he said it that drew me out of the bathroom far quicker than might otherwise have happened.

I honestly thought he'd started watching a movie. There was something surreal about watching that spot on a building which I later found out to be one of the World Trade Center towers spewing smoke. I'm sure it was far more surreal for New Yorkers than it was for me, as a Canadian living in the western part of the country and substantially removed from the unfolding horror. If memory serves, I'd asked him what he was watching, and he said it was the news in New York, which makes sense, given I was watching and listening to Live With Regis And Kelly at the time.

My brain sort of went on autopilot from there and I knew on some level the naïveté I'd had about the world up until that point was shattered. The days that followed the September 11 attacks continue to be somewhat blurry for me, but I remember having to hold my husband's hand when I went to bed at night because if I didn't, I had nightmares. I was at once horrified and fascinated by the human drama that unfolded; the stories of the heroism of that day stunned me, sometimes to the point of tears, and I remember wondering if I would demonstrate such bravery as so many did that day.

That day is now 16 years in our past, and I find myself thinking about the babies born on that day or shortly thereafter. Many never met their fathers; others will thankfully be removed from the horror of that day but still understand how irrevocably it changed everyone's understanding of the dangers being a global citizen. These teens might look around them and wonder why, in today's social media world, we continue to be reminded of the horrors of the events of that fateful day 16 years ago when there's another in an endless stream of natural disasters occurring right now. Why should we remember, when there's always another tragedy looming around every corner?

Certainly, the youth that lost their dads or their moms on September 11, 2001 will never forget what the events of that day took from them, but for those removed from the immediate situation, there is a reason we still look back and remember. We remember because in spite of all the tragedy and the over 3,000 lives lost that day, there was incredible, beautiful good that came. Humans were helping each other, digging and moving tons of concrete to try and save just one more life, or at the very least, get answers for those who were desperately trying to find their missing loved ones. They were embracing each other through tears, trying to remind each other that in spite of all the horrible events spiraling around them, there was still good to be had. They were helping to bandage the wounded, hugging terrified children, and giving blood in hopes of saving just one more person.

In spite of the terror inflicted upon the United States on that fateful day by those 19 terrorists, we need to remember that humanity proved that good will always triumph. We need to remember those that gave their lives that day so that others could continue to live. We also need to honor those who have since lost their lives, trying to fight for justice in the wake of the September 11 attacks. That's why, even though we could very easily move on to the latest disaster and put that day in our rearview mirrors, we have to remember.