Posted on 09/11/2009 3:45:06 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
It is eight years since 9/11, and here is an unexpected stage of grief: fear that the ache will go away. I don't suppose it ever will, but grieving has gradations, and "horror" becomes "absorbed sadness." Life moves on, and wants to move on, which is painful for those who will not forget and cannot be comforted. Part of the spookiness of life, part of its power to disorient us, is not only that people die, that they slip below the waves, but that the waves close above them so quickly, the sea so quickly looks the same.
I've been thinking about those who were children on 9/11, not little ones who were shielded but those who were 10 and 12, old enough to understand that something dreadful had happened but young enough still to be in childhood. A young man who was 14 the day of the attacks told me recently that there's an unspoken taboo among the young people of New York: They don't talk about it, ever. They don't want to say, "Oh boo hoo, it was awful." They don't want to dwell. They shrug it off when it comes up. They change the subject.
This week, in a conversation with college students at an eastern university, I brought it up. Seven students politely shared some of their memories. I invited them to tell me more the next morning, and was surprised when six of the seven showed up. This is what I learned:
They've been marked by 9/11 more than they know. It was their first moment of historical consciousness. Before that day, they didn't know what history was; after that day, they knew they were in it.
It was a life-splitting event. Before it they were carefree, after they were careful.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I don’t think that encouraging endless agonizing over something that didn’t hurt you personally is psychologically healthy. I think what we’ve got here is “survivor guilt” from the writer: nothing really happened to me, but please pay attention to how bad I think I would feel if it did.
I was 17 and a senior in high school. You should join in the Army and work in Foreign Intelligence.
.
NEVER FORGET
.
9/11 Lifesaver RICK RESCORLA =
The Man Who Predicted 9/11
http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24361
http://www.RickRescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm
.
NEVER FORGET
.
My oldest daughter was 11 on 9/11/01. She was afraid at night, listening to the fighters overhead, and had nightmares after we attended a “Rally for America” where our U.S. Senator talked about what he’d seen in post-Gulf War Kuwait.
Now she’s 18 and in the Coast Guard.
Then they vote for the terrorists' friends.
Funny about that. Anoreth is a registered Libertarian.
I was 19 on 9/11. I thought of joining then but it was not an option, and still is not because of my physical health.
I love the CG! I do some work for them. Awesome group of people.
I love the CG! I do some work for them. Awesome group of people.
Please send her our blessings and gratitude for her service.
We had a Virtual Graduation last weekend for Anoreth and a couple of other FReeper’s children in the military. She knows the whole FR community is rooting for her.
This past week was her first cruise - about a week - on her long-haul cutter from Seattle (according the girl on the Quarterdeck who could tell me their US mail address; I guess the rest of them don’t get mail!). I figure they were going up to Alaska before the freeze-up, and they’ll head down to South America in the fall.
We’ve been on vacation this week, but when we get our mail on Monday, I hope to find a note about what’s going on Seattle, and an at-sea address and an emergency phone number. I tried to raise a nice Southern lady and got a Warrior Goddess ... go figure!
My kids were 14 and 17. They lost their naivety about the world that day.
My daughter now works in Christian Apologetics academia. Son is in college.
Both of them believe/expect another attack any moment, definitely within the next five years. Next one will be much much worse.
The best warrior goddesses are birthed from steel magnolias!!! Tell her she will remain in my prayers and I am dispatching angels to sit on her shoulders.
Come on y’all. Prayers up and angels dispatched for this pride of southern warriorhood!!!!
I have been wondering how strange it must be for my 8 year old grandchildren. I have a grandson and granddaughter who have never know peace. We haven’t been able to shield them from war because they both have fathers who have served. They talk about deployments like it’s a bump in the road. They fully understand that there are bad people in the world and they are out to hurt us. I still think that is a lot for an 8 year old to take in.
Anoreth is 5 feet tall and weighs 105 in full uniform including boots. She chose the Coast Guard because they would put her on a boat on the front lines, instead of behind a desk. She types 110 words a minute and knows 3 computer languages.
I miss her almost as much as her dog does!
I grew up with a father in the Navy. Two tours in Vietnam, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean ... kids live with it. My friends and I knew our father might crash, because we helped out with other families when the pilots *did* crash.
[”I don’t think that encouraging endless agonizing over something that didn’t hurt you personally is psychologically healthy.”
“Then they vote for the terrorists’ friends.”]
I don’t think it’s psychologically healthy to be dwell on the horror of 9-11. I also think that it is just plain stupid to be in denial or to avoid the topic because of whom it might offend or alarm.
We have troops in Afghanistan, we have leaky borders, we have the lesson of Europe, whose days seem to be numbered due to the demographics of immigration and population growth, and we have a collection of advisors around the President who belong in a loony bin.
It is vital that what happened be openly and exhaustively discussed and analyzed and not be left to government and academics.
You will never outlove, outmiss, outloyal a dog!!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.