Here we are, another September 11th.

Twenty one years later I still remember the complete disbelief I felt watching the event unfold on TV.

Oddly, I knew somewhere deep in my heart that we’d never be the same.

Children born on this day in 2001 can now have a beer. I guess that means that we can also look at 9/11 with maturity.

I think I missed it last year. I just didn’t want to see The President blathering on, marking the 20th anniversary. This year perhaps he’ll be too busy preparing for his trip to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral to damn the boogie man of MAGA extremists in what should be an otherwise solemn occasion.

God, I hope he doesn’t send Kamala. I don’t think anyone in the country would appreciate her cackling at an inappropriate moment or one of her infamous circular word salads.

I wouldn’t even be too surprised if Biden sent Ilhan Omar to be his representation. That seems to be the amount of respect he holds for the country.

I’m planning on spending the day quietly. I’ll be observing the day in thought and reflection. A lot went wrong that day, a lot went right too. There were brave first responders who risked it all to help others. The bravery of the people who fought the hijackers in flight and who died doing so. We can’t know how many people on the ground they saved by preventing flight 93 from hitting its target. All we can know is that they stood up and said, “NO!”

There were other prices we paid that day. The patriot act came into being in the months following, which led directly to abridgment of some of our freedoms in the name of illusory safety. The TSA came into being and has become the bane of most air travelers in our nation. We paid the price of 20 years of war in Afghanistan. 

To be sure there were other prices paid.

Some insurance companies and pensions refused to accept that the first responders illnesses were caused by their work on 9/11.  Firefighters and Police who responded that day developed sicknesses that were only acknowledged as being 9/11 related, many years after the event.

In some cases financial aid that came with that acknowledgement was far too little too late as they’d already lost everything fighting their illness. Their children have also paid the price, their parents illness caused disruption in their lives, the family’s financial strain in some cases caused their dreams of college to vanish.

The cost of that day reverberates through our society even now. 

Reflection seems appropriate today.

Hug your loved ones, be kind to each other.