Category Archives: memories

This day snuck up on me

This last weekend, local firefighters climbed 112 stories to remember and honor the first responders lost in the Sept. 11 attack. This happens every year, and I absolutely love that they do it!

But I was confused when I heard about it. Sept. 11th was still a long ways away.

Right?

I’m really glad I was by myself as my mind started doing the math and realized that its September, and actually 9/11 would only be in a few more days. I’m pretty sure there was a visible light-bulb moment all over my face.

Ever since its happened (9/11, not the light bulb moment), I’ve looked on this day as momentous. Last year, I recounted where I was when I found out about the tragedy. This year… this year I’m more aware of how much time has passed since 9/11/01.

When I card someone at the bar, they have to have a birth date of that particular day, 1991, or before. 1991. The people just becoming old enough to drink legally were 10 years old when the towers fell. College students were in elementary school. That blows my mind in a way. And its not me going, “OMG I’m old!” in that statement. It’s me realizing that soon the emotional attachment to that day will wane, as it becomes more like a paragraph in our history books.

Bin Laden may be dead, but Al Qaeda is still active. There are people still dealing with the aftermath of the day, every day. Be it with health difficulties, dealing with the loss of their loved one(s) or just living looking over their shoulder — 9/11 is still very real and still very strong for thousands of Americans. It’s NOT a paragraph in a history book. Not yet.

But that time will come, and I think it comes with healing. It’s not forgetting. It’s not disrespecting. It’s healing. It takes time, but it does come. I, for one, do welcome that healing even as I’ll forever pause when I think of 9/11.

Remembering in-depth conversations

Sometimes, when I look at Facebook, I find myself remembering in-depth conversations with friends from way back when.

Take today. I was just perusing my “hometown-based” friends filter (seriously, if you’re a casual Facebooker and get frustrated keeping up with friends, try filters; they’re awesome) and with every face, so familiar yet aged 15 years+, I found myself remembering conversations. Some in the dark of a “yella-dog” (school bus) on the way home from a football game. Some in the school parking lot. Others through the tears of broken hearts.

We’ve all grown so much since then… since when we thought these dramas would end our worlds.

Some are married with kids. Others happily single. All with those conversations long-forgotten.

Sometimes, like today, I long to have another in-depth conversation with these old friends. How are they? Tell me about your life. Tell me all about what’s happened with you since those long-ago conversations.

Facebook only shows us what we all want others to see. It doesn’t share a person’s heart. It doesn’t share their thoughts and hopes. It doesn’t truly share the things only a long one-on-one conversation can share.

Just because these friends have long-ago left my life, they’ve never left my heart. Maybe they’ve changed a lot. Maybe today we WOULDN’T be friends. But I still remember them. I still remember who they were. And they all touched my life, and I still hope the best for them.

So here is to all the old friends… the ones you still love every day, even if you may never see them again in your life.