Today marks 25 years since the 9/11 attacks on America. I wrote about where I was on 9/11 and the aftermath of living in the DC area in the following weeks and months. While I think that post stands on its own, this post and today in general seems about the passage of time and aging. I was 26 on September 11th, 2001. I've lived nearly half my life since then. How did that happen? For an event which had such an impact on our country, a significant amount (though not the majority yet) of the US population wasn't born yet or are too young to remember that day. I was still nearly 10 years away from having my first child on 9/11, and today, my kids know little about that day. With my parents both gone, I can't talk with them about 9/11 or have them share their experiences of that day with my kids.
I've shared many, many times that I keep too much stuff. This is particularly the case with emails. I started a Yahoo email account in summer 2001, right around the time I finished Ohio State and was unsure what would happen to my OSU email account. I also had an excite.com email account which is long gone. Anyway, I looked through my Yahoo inbox and sent mail folders from around 9/11 to see if I had any immediate thoughts from back then. While it's possible and maybe likely that there was some correspondence with friends and family about 9/11 in my Excite email account, there's nothing in my Yahoo account. Instead, there's some good things. I moved to DC in August 2001 into an apartment with my girlfriend, which is funny to write since we've now been married for 22 years. I guess I was trying to learn how to cook since I have a salmon recipe from my mom from a few weeks before 9/11 and another recipe email a few days before 9/11 from my roommate in Columbus for deviled eggs. I've still never made deviled eggs. However, in the emails back and forth with my former roommate, it seems like I went back to Pittsburgh for the Labor Day weekend and played tennis with my dad. Apparently, he beat me once, and I beat him once. Makes me smile.
And some not as good things. On 9/10, I received an email from a friend about something awful that happened to another mutual friend. I only really see what happens to all of the people on the email on Facebook these days. Any emails from later in 2001 or early 2002 seem to focus on me trying to find a job.
Again, while it's possible that there were some emails on the Excite account about 9/11 and the days that followed, I think I talked with people then. On the phone. You know, actually called friends and family and had conversations. That doesn't seem to happen much anymore. Maybe it's because I'm busy with kids and work, but now, it seems like it's easier to text. This has absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, but in the next month or so, my goal is to call friends and family and catch up with them. I don't know how this blog post got to this point, but it did. And maybe that's the message for today. Remember those who we tragically lost on 9/11 or because of 9/11. Thank first responders. Be good to each other. And check in on people you care about.
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