9/11 part 2

Here's my journal for the next day, Sept. 14. Don't worry, it's not nearly as long as the last one!

"Right now there is a memorial/prayer service being held at the Cathedral in Washington. All the political people are there (except Dick Cheney-separation of powers). How safe is that? If these terrorists really wanted to destroy our country, all they would have to do is bomb that place. I have no idea what we would do then. It's a scary thought. At the service Billy Graham spoke, as well as an Islamic leader. I think a Rabbi was also there. Emails are being forwarded to everyone-we're supposed to step outside tonight at 7pm and light a candle. They just said on the news that the 10 people arrested yesterday were basically mistakes. On the radio right now they are doing an hour of special music. It's not all patriotic music. They played "I Hope You Dance" by LeeAnn Womack, "I Will Remember You" by Sarah McLachlan, and others."

Those weeks and months right after it happened were insane. Everyone seemed to be on edge, but at the same time everyone was trying to help everyone else in whatever way they could. Remember the firefighters going car to car at big intersections, collecting money? And all the telethons (this was pre-Kanye West, so no random, inappropriate comments)? It's interesting to look back at these journal entries and see the discrepancies between what we thought at the time, and what actually happened, like the death toll for example. Anyway . . . I didn't want to let today go by without saying something about it. Every year it seems like less and less is said about it. That first anniversary I was a basketcase, crying all day long. Actually, that's not true, I was probably loaded up on drugs so that I wouldn't have to think about it. Now I want to think about it because I don't want to forget it. It sucks that for those weeks we were so together as a country and so supportive of everyone, but now all we do is bicker and call names like little kids. How quickly we forget what it means to be the UNITED States of America.