Never
forget?
As
I was flying home last night from seeing family, I had a bit of time to reflect
on 9/11. I thought about the U2 concert
I went to. For 15 minutes, me and 54,996 strangers had something in common, a
desire to attend the same concert. I
went to a stadium fashioned after a big Viking ship, symbolizing the strong
Norwegian influence in the area.
Take-off and landing, a gentle reminder that from the long view, we’re
indistinguishable. What toll has 9/11
extracted?
Should
we be holding on to some things and letting go of others? In no way is this an attempt to marginalize
the loss of those families who were impacted by this terrorist event on
American soil. It is, however, a call to
action to reclaim the best pieces of America that have been contaminated by
politicians and fearmongers. Let’s enhance and stitch those pieces together for
a transformative future.
For
most in my generation, 9/11 is an epochal event, like when the Challenger went
down, we all remember where we were. I
also remember airline travel before 9/11.
I remember a nation not in a perpetual state of war. I remember a nation that celebrated
creativity and ingenuity, regardless of the origin. I remember freedom of speech and its
protection. I remember public
conversation flowing from an attempt to understand the other side, not vilify
it. Most of all, I remember the chance
to grow as a human, rooted in the common human experience, where all our
commonalities came colliding together for the chance to flourish.
As
I look at the generations behind me, their airline travel has always been a
burden. They are on a trajectory to only
remember a nation at war. They will
remember a nation perpetually at odds with itself, driven by fear and
isolationism, quashing creativity and the sharing of ideas. At the slightest provacation, they are
publicly eviscerated, stunting the capacity to extend grace and kindness. Thus far, America is creating for them a
shared human experience defined by fear and a perceived scarcity.
America
lives in a permanent state of war and thus a permanent state of fear. Historically, our success stems from the
interplay between optimism and creativity.
It’s the unwavering restlessness and courage of immigrants who left
their home nations and believed they could create a better life for themselves
and their children. I believe much of
the malcontent state we’re perpetuating is the subversion of creativity by
fear. We believe we hem in the acts of a
few by a myriad of special efforts. What
if we flip that on its head and acknowledge we have no control over a few bad
actors. Let’s shift our energies and
resources, approaching the future with openness and vibrancy, believing we can
craft moments larger than ourselves, reflective of our best selves. And, by extension, honor those who died by
rising above terrorism, fear and anger through grace, kindness and generosity.
So
far America has proven herself to be resilient and cooperative. When catastrophes like Harvey and Irma
strike, we see that bubble up to the surface.
What if we were to try to leave it on the surface and live that way
every day? Do we have the courage to
believe in our shared humanity?
“Wounded
by fear and injured in doubt;” can we muster the stamina to move beyond our
self-inflicted wounds and choose a future reflective of our greatest
traits? As you remember the shifts in
your life on this 16th anniversary,
look to the small contributions you can make to yourself and those around
you. Let’s collaborate to give future
generations a better and more prosperous nation.
