Remembering When

It was 8 years ago on Friday. It doesn't really seem that long ago. The memories of how we felt that day. Where we were, who we called, what we did. It was a day that will stay imprinted on our minds forever. For an instant we we struck dumb, we were in awe, disbelief, and fear. Some were angry. Angry that such a thing could happen to us. Angry, and thirsty for quick vengeance. For the most part those feelings quickly washed away. It turned into something else. The spirit of our citizens and residents emerged. It is what makes us American. People threw themselves into harms way. For what? Sometimes it was to save just one soul from the inferno. Sometimes it was to be their so they wouldn't be alone as they moved into the great beyond. Some did it because it was their duty. More people flooded the area. Despite the dangers of more explosions, collapses or chemical exposure. The risks were great, but the job had to be done, the rewards greater. For a moment we are simply Americans. We weren't liberal, conservative, republicans, democrats or divided between us and them. The nation stood as We. We the People stood together. We came together. We honored the dead. Revered the heroes. Embraced the survivors and the "survived by" as well. Let's remember how we felt, the unity at that time. The closeness, the camaraderie, the United family that we are.

I am the mash'd fireman with breast-bone broken,
Tumbling walls buried me in their debris,
Heat and smoke I inspired, I heard the yelling shouts of my comrades,
I heard the distant click of their picks and shovels,
They have clear'd the beams away, they tenderly lift me forth.
-Walt Whitman, Song of Myself

Remember the heroes. Thank those that stand the line between us and danger. Those that stand guard over us at night, and protect us by night. Thank those that are willing to lose their life so that we may have ours. Let us never lose our American Spirit. Let us always prevail, no matter how far or hard we fall, we shall always rise.

God bless us all.