Tuesday; September 11

On the morning of September 11, 2001 I went to work burdened by a lot of things that seemed important to me.  It was Homecoming Week for our High School and, as the School Resource Officer, I was already concerned about the shenanigans I was going to have to deal with throughout the week.  To add to that, our community was hosting a huge celebration for World War II veterans that was going impact the entire community.  We were going to have thousands of visitors come into to town and we were going to be working twelve hour shifts to deal with the influx.  Yes, I was pretty worked up about the upcoming week.  Then, at 7:46 a.m. Central Time, my issues seemed very small.  We watched in horror and disbelief as the world seem to unravel right before our eyes. 
The attacks on the United States on 9/11 adjusted the way we think about a lot of things – but there are a couple of lessons that we must never forget:  First of all, life can change quickly.  Thousands of families were immediately impacted that morning and all of us have been influenced by what happened in those few minutes that day.  We may feel like we have life all figured out – but, those terrorist attacks remind us how quickly our lives and our world can be altered.  Second, it is easy to fret over things that are not all that big of a deal.  My concerns might have seemed immense when I went to bed on Monday night, but when I finally got to sleep on Tuesday night, they were distant memories.  In the end, those minor problems just zapped the emotional strength that would have been better saved for the bigger issues. 
Each of us has a story from 9/11.  It is a day of national remembrance – but, maybe it can also be a day of reflection on lessons learned in our own personal lives.
          Think About It!

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