Today mostly felt like other Tuesdays this semester, except that I was reminded of a much different, much scarier Tuesday on this day in 2001. I read Facebook posts today from an array of friends who are a variety of ages. Seeing everyone recount the where they were on September 11, 2001 was interesting, but what I noticed most is that no matter how old everyone was that day, they were all forced to grow up a little (or a lot) more and face things about the world that they hadn’t faced before. I was in 8th grade, and I thought at the time that my worldview was evolving as I made preparations for high school the next year, but looking back today when I am older and (hopefully) wiser, I see that 9/11 fast-forwarded my peers and me into a different time and required us to realize some unpleasant facts about how cruel and terrible things happen sometimes. Yet, I am still glad I lived without those realizations until I was a teenager. Many young adults today do not remember a world pre-9/11, and that is a shame, but it is also a compelling reason to continue to share the amazing stories of bravery and sacrifice that came out of that day.
I’ll close with this photo from the 2001 Marine Corps Marathon because it reminds me of the wonderful ways in which runners represent goodness and persistence, and they always find a way to keep moving forward, even in the darkest times. May we all take a lesson from them today.
Just two months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, approximately 15,000 people participated in the 26th Marine Corps Marathon. (Photo credit: Marine Corps Marathon, caption: battlerattle.marinecorpstimes.com)
Something that made today great: I think I rocked my presentation in class!
Time I woke up: 7:45. Not great on its own, but great knowing that I was up late reading last night. I’m so pumped to go to sleep by 10 pm.
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