9.11.2001 Temporary Lessons

Twenty four years have passed…

I digress for a moment to point out some repetition from recent years of commentary on 9/11

For the families, loved ones, and friends, the wounds of profound loss continue to be fresh for some. Life was changed forever for them, an unwelcomed new normal, and what changed for us in our reaction to the horror of that day has faded for far too many, judging by how we treat each other today.

It is hard to recognize the lessons learned on 9.12.2001 to where we are at now. For the days that followed, our politics did not matter, racism did not matter, we didn’t care what color you were, station in life did not matter. who we slept with did not matter, what set of sex organs we sported in our underwear did not matter, what God each other believed in, or what we commented in thought did not matter at all. We did not need pronouns, diversity training, reparations, cults of personality, or unhinged pundits to guide us in understanding what was in our hearts and what we felt in our guts -that we are Americans.

Twenty-four years ago, and one day later, with great cause, we rallied for each other and had each other’s backs. We demonstrated what is awesome about us, our country.

It can be claimed that we have forgotten who our family, friends, and neighbors are, what we actually mean to each other as Americans. Right now, we are failing at this. Too damn caught up in perceived racism, real or assumed inequities, mortally wounded by the infractions of the slightest language snafus. All fodder for justifying violence and abhorrent crimes. The social fires are fanned by our own elected officials who play us against each other in the manufactured chaos. It is a terrible way for those of us who live on, to honor those fallen on this fateful day.

Lessons learned twenty-four years ago need to be reinstated as a permanent staple of our society. How we treated each other back then, as we rallied for those lost and for justice to prevail, needs to be revisited in earnest.

In twenty-four years have not forgotten: 

The memories and the feelings from that day have not faded, nor diminished. It was to be a perfect bluebird day in September.

The near-perfect September day morphed, shattered for thousands of victims in mere seconds for many, some in agonizing, terror-filled minutes, hours yet for others.

In the ripples of life, our greatest loss is to never know or benefit from what great deeds and accomplishments of all those lost. 

That we came together as Americans. We were united as Americans. We still are Americans. Many have forgotten this very fact in recent times.

Those that perished on this fateful day of September 11th, 2001.

Those that gave all in order to save lives. Heroes that walk among us to this day.

Those who survived only succumbed to it days, months, and years later.

That we are all equal by way of our maker

This is republished each year as I find it so important to include:

On each anniversary of 9/11, my thoughts return to two fellow NWTF members Cynthia Giugliano & Walter Weaver that we lost that day. A memorial webpage can be found at http://www.turkey-talk.com/9_11_01_memorial.htm

I ask that each of you give thought to those that serve us in all vocations. In your travels, I ask that you take the time to thank those that serve us, and continue to support what they do for our country.

Along with counting your blessings, say a prayer for all innocent victims, and that you do something on your part to make the world just a little bit better for those around you. We can all benefit from random acts of kindness.

-MJ

© 2025 Mike Joyner- Joyner Outdoor Media