9/11 Is an Anniversary We Can Never Forget

Tomorrow it will be five years since that deceivingly beautiful day when jet planes and tall buildings went from objects of awe to symbols of tragedy. I have never been able to look at a plane in the sky the same way, and I do have trouble staring up at tall buildings and not thinking about 9/11. Living in New York doesn’t make things any easier, especially in Queens where there are two airports and a rather spectacular view of Manhattan. Thus, not a day goes by that I am not reminded of that horrific day, nor does a night go by that I do not face the possibility of disturbing dreams.

For those people who have said to me (or to members of my family) “It is a long time now; you really ought to get over it” or something inconsiderate like that, I can only say that I don’t think it’s something we can get over. My sister lost a good man that day, a fire lieutenant who led his men up the stairs in the South Tower while civilians were streaming down them. Steve was an integral part of our family, more beloved than any of us told him in life, and we have to live with that as part of our grief. The truth is that I always admired and respected what he did for a living, but I never could find the words to tell him that. Now, I have to deal with that along with all my other feelings that seem like they will never go away.

After five years my sister has “moved on” as some people might say, but I can see in her eyes and hear in her voice that is more of a mechanism to survive, less defensive than offensive, and I know she sheds her tears in private and deals with a monumental grief that just does not enable one to “get over it.” There is only the hope of tomorrow being another day, still knowing that within three hundred and sixty five days September 11 will have to be faced again, as if she is not dealing with it all the other days of the year anyway.

Still, this day must be remembered with reverence and never forgotten. People I know sometimes talk about Pearl Harbor in the same breath as 9/11. My father, who enlisted in the Army right after December 7, 1941, and fought in Europe during WWII, sees many similarities in the two attacks, but as a patriotic old guy he also sees vast differences in how our country responded to them.

Article Author: Victor Lana

Victor Lana has published numerous stories and articles in literary magazines and online, including his favorite haunt here at Blogcritics. His books A Death in Prague (2002),Move (2003), and The Savage Quiet September Sun: A Collection of 9/11 Stories are available at online bookstores. …

Visit Victor Lana's author page — Victor Lana's Blog