And thank you for raising a patriot!
Posted on 09/11/2009 3:45:06 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
It is eight years since 9/11, and here is an unexpected stage of grief: fear that the ache will go away. I don't suppose it ever will, but grieving has gradations, and "horror" becomes "absorbed sadness." Life moves on, and wants to move on, which is painful for those who will not forget and cannot be comforted. Part of the spookiness of life, part of its power to disorient us, is not only that people die, that they slip below the waves, but that the waves close above them so quickly, the sea so quickly looks the same.
I've been thinking about those who were children on 9/11, not little ones who were shielded but those who were 10 and 12, old enough to understand that something dreadful had happened but young enough still to be in childhood. A young man who was 14 the day of the attacks told me recently that there's an unspoken taboo among the young people of New York: They don't talk about it, ever. They don't want to say, "Oh boo hoo, it was awful." They don't want to dwell. They shrug it off when it comes up. They change the subject.
This week, in a conversation with college students at an eastern university, I brought it up. Seven students politely shared some of their memories. I invited them to tell me more the next morning, and was surprised when six of the seven showed up. This is what I learned:
They've been marked by 9/11 more than they know. It was their first moment of historical consciousness. Before that day, they didn't know what history was; after that day, they knew they were in it.
It was a life-splitting event. Before it they were carefree, after they were careful.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I don’t think that encouraging endless agonizing over something that didn’t hurt you personally is psychologically healthy. I think what we’ve got here is “survivor guilt” from the writer: nothing really happened to me, but please pay attention to how bad I think I would feel if it did.
I was 17 and a senior in high school. You should join in the Army and work in Foreign Intelligence.
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NEVER FORGET
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9/11 Lifesaver RICK RESCORLA =
The Man Who Predicted 9/11
http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24361
http://www.RickRescorla.com/The%20Statue.htm
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NEVER FORGET
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My oldest daughter was 11 on 9/11/01. She was afraid at night, listening to the fighters overhead, and had nightmares after we attended a “Rally for America” where our U.S. Senator talked about what he’d seen in post-Gulf War Kuwait.
Now she’s 18 and in the Coast Guard.
Then they vote for the terrorists' friends.
Funny about that. Anoreth is a registered Libertarian.
I was 19 on 9/11. I thought of joining then but it was not an option, and still is not because of my physical health.
I love the CG! I do some work for them. Awesome group of people.
I love the CG! I do some work for them. Awesome group of people.
Please send her our blessings and gratitude for her service.
We had a Virtual Graduation last weekend for Anoreth and a couple of other FReeper’s children in the military. She knows the whole FR community is rooting for her.
This past week was her first cruise - about a week - on her long-haul cutter from Seattle (according the girl on the Quarterdeck who could tell me their US mail address; I guess the rest of them don’t get mail!). I figure they were going up to Alaska before the freeze-up, and they’ll head down to South America in the fall.
We’ve been on vacation this week, but when we get our mail on Monday, I hope to find a note about what’s going on Seattle, and an at-sea address and an emergency phone number. I tried to raise a nice Southern lady and got a Warrior Goddess ... go figure!
My kids were 14 and 17. They lost their naivety about the world that day.
My daughter now works in Christian Apologetics academia. Son is in college.
Both of them believe/expect another attack any moment, definitely within the next five years. Next one will be much much worse.
The best warrior goddesses are birthed from steel magnolias!!! Tell her she will remain in my prayers and I am dispatching angels to sit on her shoulders.
Come on y’all. Prayers up and angels dispatched for this pride of southern warriorhood!!!!
I have been wondering how strange it must be for my 8 year old grandchildren. I have a grandson and granddaughter who have never know peace. We haven’t been able to shield them from war because they both have fathers who have served. They talk about deployments like it’s a bump in the road. They fully understand that there are bad people in the world and they are out to hurt us. I still think that is a lot for an 8 year old to take in.
Anoreth is 5 feet tall and weighs 105 in full uniform including boots. She chose the Coast Guard because they would put her on a boat on the front lines, instead of behind a desk. She types 110 words a minute and knows 3 computer languages.
I miss her almost as much as her dog does!
I grew up with a father in the Navy. Two tours in Vietnam, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean ... kids live with it. My friends and I knew our father might crash, because we helped out with other families when the pilots *did* crash.
[”I don’t think that encouraging endless agonizing over something that didn’t hurt you personally is psychologically healthy.”
“Then they vote for the terrorists’ friends.”]
I don’t think it’s psychologically healthy to be dwell on the horror of 9-11. I also think that it is just plain stupid to be in denial or to avoid the topic because of whom it might offend or alarm.
We have troops in Afghanistan, we have leaky borders, we have the lesson of Europe, whose days seem to be numbered due to the demographics of immigration and population growth, and we have a collection of advisors around the President who belong in a loony bin.
It is vital that what happened be openly and exhaustively discussed and analyzed and not be left to government and academics.
You will never outlove, outmiss, outloyal a dog!!!!
And thank you for raising a patriot!
I felt badly about having to age my nine year old daughter on the way to school this morning.
I was listening to Quinn and Rose and she had many questions about the who, what, when, where and why of the planes. I had never discussed it with her. Never told her what it was or how I felt about it.
I had to destroy some innocence to tell her about it. That hurt.
Well, it’s a lot to take in, for kids, in this day and age. But 100 years ago it would have been the norm. Thinking about my great-grandmother who, by age 8, had emigrated from Russia to Brazil, was orphaned there, and was brought to Kansas by an older (14 year old) sister (along with the 3 other sibs), and was living with another family as a ‘scullery maid.’
Life is just darned hard. That’s why God gave us chocolate and coffee and wine, to help us get through.
Poor Ash! She goes up to Anoreth’s (former) room looking for her, even though we’ve moved two sisters and their gerbils in there.
I discuss it with all the kids I tutor. They must know.
I love the name Anoreth. Is there a story there?
If Anoreth (or any of the six boys) gives what you did, Airborne, I will die proud. I don’t want any of my kids to have to give their lives or limbs, but we’re part of a history that makes sacrifice commonplace, and we don’t intend to shirk it.
My part was having the babies ;-), and typing for the DoD, back in my youth.
I agree. We need to be realistic about the threat, but we don’t need to wallow in emotion, *especially* when we have not personally experienced a loss. If someone you loved died in the WTC or among the police/firefighters, or if someone you loved has died or experienced injury in Afghanistan or Iraq, I’m on your side. I’ll hug you and cry with you.
But if it’s just the concept, then suck it up and vote pro-defense.
Ya see. I knew someone here would understand what I was talking about. I do know that Military brats always made great Nurses. I was always happy to work with them. They bounced when thrown.
Anoreth is her FReep name; Josephine Victoria Clare is her real name. When she joined FR (at 12), she was writing a novel about a character named “Anoreth,” so we signed her up under that name.
No one knows what they will be asked to give in the service of their country.
The fact that they volunteer with that knowledge is a testament to their courage. And this generation has shown that it is as great as any that has come before it.
Our ancestors would be proud of them. I know I am!
Yeah it is hard. I have a gut feeling they will be tougher nuts than us who had things nicer. Time will tell.
I have a nephew that was a few days away from his second birthday on 9/11. He talked for years about the day the planes knocked the buldings down. He’ll be 10 soon and last year his Mom sat with him and left him watch the rebroadcast of the footage from that day and then a documentary on it so he’d know what really happened.
Agreed. If the author or these kids didn’t personally lose someone it’s a little creepy to refer to it as “grief”. And eight years later, those who lost someone still mourn and miss their loved ones desperately but life does indeed go on.
My kids were very young (5 and 3) but since Daddy is the military, they’ve had to spend at least 1/2 of the 96 months that have passed since then without him. That’s tough for them, but they know why he does what he does and we don’t try to hide the horrors of that day from them. They need to know who did this in order to help prevent it in the future.
So how went her attempt at the great novel?!?! I was writing “novels” at that age also, but would be mortified if anyone read them today. This sure brings back memories for me.
Again, tell Miss Josephine Victoria Clare, our warrior goddess how much we appreciate her and to stay safe for her mama who obviously loves her dearly and is so very proud.
I don’t think she ever pursued the novel to completion. She did a lot of writing on websites that was more in the “vignette” length, and wrote some snatches of dramas. she has a gift for dialogue and character, but (up to age 18) hadn’t put together a big, completed plot. She also did very good illustrations. She left a file of artwork that I haven’t gone through yet, including a full set of drawings illustrating Poe’s “Fall of the House of Usher.”
This is the first time in her life (she was homeschooled from age 4) that I haven’t known what was going on in her life day by day, but the Coast Guard has an investment in her being a useful Seaman, and I’m sure she’ll be a hugh success.
On that day in 2001 my son was 7. I turned on the tv and gave him his breakfast, then went to get ready for work. After a bit, he runs into the bathroom in hysterics, crying that “the movie is too scary” and that it’s on all the channels.
I totally understand, trying to explain the unexplainable.
I saw that guy on the History Channel. He definitely predicted something like 9/11 was gonna happen and in the process he saved a lot of lives.
Anoreth says she’s prepared to give everything for our country. She has a Spanish soul ... honor and glory and who cares if you die, we’re all going to die anyway. (She can tell you all about it in Spanish, and that’s about all she learned in a year of community college language classes ;-).
She talked about being in the military from the time she could conceive what it meant ... 8 or so. I’m just glad she’s not a pilot - that’s my personal phobia, with my Dad’s being a military pilot. All the services said she was too little.
It was scary. In my youth, one in four Navy pilots crashed. One in four! My Dad’s still alive at 73, thank God, but he beat the odds.
I think, if you’re paying attention in that environment, that some things are more important than staying alive, and serving your country is one of them.
No life is without it's struggles, but you appear to have a solid grasp on what is important in life, and you've clearly instilled it in your children!
It's people like you that keeps me coming back to FreeRepublic! That, and it's my primary source of political news.
I could say the same thing back: this is where I get the news, and where I meet the people who are keeping the country going, no matter what crap the government dishes out.
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NEVER FORGET
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The History Chanel’s stunning 9/11 TV Special:
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‘The Man Who Predicted 9/11: RICK RESCORLA’
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Re-Airs tonight / 9/11/2009
8:00 pm Pacific Time - 11:00 pm Eastern Time
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NEVER FORGET
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This morning the radio station I listen too played parts of the tapes to the control towers. It was nothing more than highlighted snippets.
I had to turn off the radio and pull to the side of the road. It took me 15 minutes to compose myself.
It hurt today to watch people act as if the day was just another day.
Someone living near my house painted on the road a couple of years ago, “9/11 - Still Fresh, Still Angry.” It’s still perfectly clear on the road. Emotion is good only if it keeps us focussed on defeating the enemy. Our current government wants to stimulate emotion to distract us from the enemy.
The silence is deafening.
Afghanistan is a mess. We’ve made a real difference in Iraq, though. Osama bin Laden is just one radical jihadist; we’ve killed thousands.
The new President is a Marxist poseur who doesn’t care whether we make any progress against Islamic terror.
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