I Will Not Forget

There are many who will not agree with me, but "9/11" has made an imprint on my heart.  It is more than a date on a long-ago calendar.  It is a reminder that no matter how safe and free you feel at any given moment in time, someone or something out there is poised in the wings ready to zap your complacency in an instant, and life as you know it will never be the same.

There are some who say we are "over-reacting" and we need to "just let it go" and "get on with our lives."  Tell that to the 3,000 plus families who woke up on that morning and watched an historic event that would mark for them the worst day of their lives.  In an instant that loved one they kissed good-bye just a few hours ago is now just a memory; and that kiss or whatever words were exchanged is emblazoned in their hearts forevermore.  As the day unfolded, the images of two burning buildings crashing in a heap to the ground were deeply engraved in their memory banks, and nothing will ever erase them.

This tragic event brought to my mind another one that occurred many years ago.  I was but a toddler, barely two years old when Japanese aircraft dropped hundreds of bombs on Pearl Harbor and the military bases in Hawaii.  I don't remember the event, but I do remember my mom and dad glued to their chairs in front of the radio listening to news of what this meant for the country they dearly loved.  I remember "black outs" vividly, because we had to blacken all of our windows, turn off all of our lights and huddle together in darkness.

I didn't like the dark.  I remember my dad donning his white Air Raid Warden helmet and going out in that darkness.  I was afraid for him.  Where was he going?  Would he come back?  We could hear planes flying overhead and that was frightening, because we didn't know whether they were ours or whether they belonged to an enemy.

We lived just two blocks from Douglas Aircraft Company where DC bombers were built.  Our house stood barely one block from the end of the runway of the Santa Monica Airport.  Numerous airplanes took off over our house at all hours of the day and night.  I learned later that the entire aircraft plant's roof was camouflaged to look like a typical neighborhood, complete with a park.  From the air, enemy planes wouldn't suspect what was really underneath all of that camouflage.  Those were scary times for a two-year-old.

My parents would never forget that day, December 7, 1941, nor would the survivors who were in Pearl Harbor or stationed on one of the military bases nearby.  No one said to them, "You're over-reacting."  No one said, "Get over it and get on with your life."

On September 11, 2001, I wrote:

     "After the first moments of disbelief, and the sickening feeling of reality has set in...
      After the numbness wears off, and we see and feel again...
      After time has begun to move forward and we pick up our broken hearts...
      We will awaken on a new day, and we will never be the same again."

One year later, I wrote:

     "God help us treasure our freedoms and meet each new day with resolve.
      And help us protect and defend our country, firm in the commitment to be better Americans."

In 2008, my husband and I had the privilege of performing in a musical program entitled "Requiem 9-11" in Lincoln City, Oregon.  It was written by Dr. Robert Herman who was in New York City on that infamous day.  He is passionate about his music and about the feelings still with him from that day.  It was a humbling experience to be a part of such an event.

     "In my heart, I don't believe there is a single American alive today, that does not pause and reflect on their individual memories of that day.  Where were you?  Do you remember what you were doing?  I do, as though it were yesterday!  I have not forgotten."  (From my journal 9/11/2008)

     "We have many events in history that deserve our consideration in memory.  It is for all those who have given their lives for the cause of freedom throughout history that presses me forward in my own little fight for freedom.  Some say we should end this mindless war--well, aren't all wars mindless?  Wars are the culmination of an ongoing battle between right and wrong that began long before the human family ever peopled this earth.  As long as I have some fight left in me, I will continue to stand for the right and defend those who would choose righteous living."  (From my journal 9/11/2009)

I bow my head on this day, as I have for the past twelve years, and in a moment of silence I remember those who gave their lives.  I remember their families and loved ones and pray for healing.  I don't ever want to "get over it."  I don't ever want to forget.  Each time there is a heinous act carried out against freedom, it awakens a new resolve in me to do more to preserve it.  It awakens a new awareness that we can and should do better.

No!  I will not forget!