It's impossible, at least in this part of the country, not to be thinking about it today. Even just for the impact on my commute this morning, since I often take a Metro bus to the Pentagon to pick up the subway. Virtually every route into the Pentagon is blocked today by police cars, officers, military trucks, and uniformed members of the armed services. (Buses are re-routed to a nearby station.)
Then again, I have reminders on a regular basis. On days that I don't take the bus, my carpool passes the Western side of the Pentagon, where a huge swath of the facade is clearly a newer, cleaner shade of stone. The Pentagon Memorial, which will be dedicated and opened to the public today, lies just yards from our regular route, so I've watched it under various stages of construction.
But today is the day that we all relive the moment. I was in the office when rumor started spreading about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I clearly remember which coworker's voice I overheard, saying, "No, I think it was a commercial plane!" in response to somebody's inquiry. I walked down to the cafeteria, which had a dozen or so TV sets, to see what was going on - more as an aviation enthusiast than out of any concern or fear. But as minutes passed, the cafeteria filled with employees - there were over 2,000 in the building - and the fear struck everyone deeply, as we all realized the gravity of the situation. Nobody got any work done that day, and many of us spent it phoning relatives and wondering why we weren't being sent home.
It's cliche to say that we were all Americans that day. But there's something to that - in fact, a little bit of that seems to return each year on the anniversary. On the Metro this morning, there was just a slightly different air. It wasn't a group of people who were all annoying one another to some degree - with their appearance, loud headsets, or general grumpiness. There was more eye contact than usual. Everyone knew that we were all, to some degree, in the same boat, not just stuck in the same Metro car.
Even though the 9/11 Commission Report would later shed light on what happened behind-the-scenes over the next hours and days, at the time, there was an incredible sense of unity. Indeed, a nation had been mobilized toward a cause, and that doesn't happen often.
So let's resolve to relive that part every year. The media makes certain that we have ample opportunities to relive the horror. It's our job to relive the sense of unity and pride that arose, seemingly out of nowhere. Let's take a day off from the partisan bickering, which isn't easy for some of us who are deeply passionate about the choice facing us in November. And let's tell both campaigns - all campaigns - that this day is not a political tool. We don't want to hear your rhetoric today. And for the next seven weeks, we don't want to hear rhetoric that exploits this day. No political party has a monopoly on protecting America.
Then again, I have reminders on a regular basis. On days that I don't take the bus, my carpool passes the Western side of the Pentagon, where a huge swath of the facade is clearly a newer, cleaner shade of stone. The Pentagon Memorial, which will be dedicated and opened to the public today, lies just yards from our regular route, so I've watched it under various stages of construction.
But today is the day that we all relive the moment. I was in the office when rumor started spreading about a plane hitting the World Trade Center. I clearly remember which coworker's voice I overheard, saying, "No, I think it was a commercial plane!" in response to somebody's inquiry. I walked down to the cafeteria, which had a dozen or so TV sets, to see what was going on - more as an aviation enthusiast than out of any concern or fear. But as minutes passed, the cafeteria filled with employees - there were over 2,000 in the building - and the fear struck everyone deeply, as we all realized the gravity of the situation. Nobody got any work done that day, and many of us spent it phoning relatives and wondering why we weren't being sent home.
It's cliche to say that we were all Americans that day. But there's something to that - in fact, a little bit of that seems to return each year on the anniversary. On the Metro this morning, there was just a slightly different air. It wasn't a group of people who were all annoying one another to some degree - with their appearance, loud headsets, or general grumpiness. There was more eye contact than usual. Everyone knew that we were all, to some degree, in the same boat, not just stuck in the same Metro car.
Even though the 9/11 Commission Report would later shed light on what happened behind-the-scenes over the next hours and days, at the time, there was an incredible sense of unity. Indeed, a nation had been mobilized toward a cause, and that doesn't happen often.
So let's resolve to relive that part every year. The media makes certain that we have ample opportunities to relive the horror. It's our job to relive the sense of unity and pride that arose, seemingly out of nowhere. Let's take a day off from the partisan bickering, which isn't easy for some of us who are deeply passionate about the choice facing us in November. And let's tell both campaigns - all campaigns - that this day is not a political tool. We don't want to hear your rhetoric today. And for the next seven weeks, we don't want to hear rhetoric that exploits this day. No political party has a monopoly on protecting America.
2 comments:
Thanks for this wonderful expression of widely felt sentiment.
Also, put an RSS feed on this thing, would ya?!?
Your parents liked this too. We're impressed with our youngest son!
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