Englishmum

I was driving to Newark airport last night as my husband was on a BA flight from London.

A few miles out, I could see the two large "Tribute in Light" blue lights have been turned on again - pointing towards the night sky - to remind everyone of the existence of the twin towers. The towers were the reference point for the whole of the lower Manhatten/Jersey City/Hoboken area and for months afterwards one would automatically look for them subconciously.

I can barely believe that it all happened four years ago.

I'm sure everyone will always remember where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news of the terrorist attacks....

http://www.pobereskin.com/wtc.html

http://www.maplewoodonline.com/trade...p3?qs1=6&qs2=9

BrandonBrit

We were supposed top be able to see them from where we were in the middle of nowhere when we lived in NJ, when they were first lit... I never did though. I think it's wonderful that they show them though and will have a quiet ponder tomorrow while doing normal around the house stuff.

I'm sure a lot of people who lost their loved one's will be having quite a few ponders about four years back...I expect it's been the longest four years of their lives.

Winterwords

It's my American grandmother's birthday today. 4 years ago my family sat around watching the news, I sat in my room crying. We knew they should be ok, and they were thankfully. It was odd when they finally were able to phone us in the UK, the next day. Hard telling her we hoped she had a "good day".

There's a song by The Mission that contains the lyrics:

"Hands across the ocean, reaching out for you
Across the waves, across the water
Hands, across the ocean."

I often think about it when thinking about my family, and did when the WTC attacks happened.

Another song I often think about when thinking of the attacks and rememebr those who have died, and those who will die because of the spread of mass terrorism around the world is Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" which ironically contains the lyrics "terror on the airlines" and "Russians in Afghanistan".

To all those who were effected by Sept. 11th, I hope that the days are getting brighter for you.

doctor scrumpy

Time flies is an unfortunate title though.

9/11 has become one of those dates that will forever live in people's minds for all the wrong reasons though.

Just Jenney

It was also the day (in 1973) of the military coup in Chile that caused the country's democratically-elected president to be killed and a brutal dictator installed in his place. Almost 3,200 people were murdered under Pinochet's 17-year rule and over 1,000 others "disappeared" and were never heard from again.

Sept 11th was celebrated as a national holiday in Chile until 1998.

~ Jenney

doctor scrumpy

Why did they stop in 1998 ?

Just Jenney

The coup and dictatorship was quite a source of shame for a lot of Chileans, it really tore apart their society. Pinochet was voted out in a referendum in 1989 (he was so convinced he would win that he made sure objective observers confirmed the voting wasn't rigged; he underestimated how much Chileans hated him) and Chile had once again become a true democracy (almost, anyway: Pinochet was still an unelected "senator for life" and could appoint several of his cronies to similar positions), so there didn't seem to be much point in "celebrating" what is considered the darkest day in Chilean history.

I was living in Chile in 1995-97 and thought it very odd that they still had that on their calendars as a day of celebration. La Moneda was bombed and Allede was killed, and then they were ruled by a tyrant for the next 17 years, thousands of people were murdered and disappeared! I don't like George Bush, but I certainly wouldn't want the US Army to bomb the White House, kill the President and install a dictator -- nor would I want to be forced to "celebrate" that every year thereafter. I'm glad they did away with it.

~ Jenney

rincewind

It's time people moved on. Living in a constant state of depression is not healthy.

Bitch all you want, just my opinion.

Lord Lionheart

For the most part I agree with you, but today is the anniversary.

rincewind

I just don't get it.

I guess I just handle things differently. The constant regurgitation or tragedy does nothing but anger me. Especially during the New Orleans crisis. Live for today, not yesterday. Some people are feeling a little unaided right now.

I guess today is the day I need to avoid all forms of media.

Dimsie

We can pause and remember the events of 9/11/01 without being in a state of depression, though. I agree that dwelling on those events, or any other tragedy, long afterwards is not good.

In the case of 9/11, history might well show that those events were the overture to a very serious turning point - always supposing that mankind survives long enough for history to be written.

Triumphrob

I agree. That was four years ago."oh woe is me"
Worse things have happened around the world since then! Focus on today and tomorrow, not yesterday.

cindyabs

As long as you heed the lessons of yesterday.

Sally

I feel this way about the old soldiers at the cenotaph sometimes, but four years must be a short time for the people directly involved in Sept. 11.

Winterwords

I agree that we should live for the present & future but we must heed to yesterday and try to learn lessons from the past to prevent future devastation. Being too morbid & dwelling on such things is not healthy & it does piss me off also for those not directly effected (like NO being lablled "our tsunami", that to me is wrong, a natural disaster yes, but not on the scale of the lives lost in the tsunami). Should it change the way we live & effect our lives forever? Maybe not, but it should change our thinking somewhat - make us more aware that we are part of a larger, world community beyond the borders of our own country (and people posting here should understand that more than most).

I'm also of the school of thought that Sept. 11th may well be judged by history as a turning point. For what, I'm not sure - time will tell & maybe it will be written in the history books by the "victors", whomever they maybe.

We forget events like this & it's causes & effects (the wars in Afghanistan & Iraq) at our own peril.

" But we are young, and our friends are dead
Suddenly, and our quick love is torn in two;
So our memories are only hopes that came to nothing.
We are left alone like old men; we should be dead
--But there are years and years in which we shall still be young."