Yesterday was the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack. I remember that day very well. I even saw the Twin Towers on fire from my school building on that day. Many lives were lost on this day. But today I want to talk about the day after this tragic event. I can remember coming home to watch the news. It was to see if anyone was recovered and to just see the pile of rubble that was once a landmark building in disbelief. I did not have a cell phone. Watching the news was the only way to see continual images of this event. Even if you did have a cellphone, most did not have internet and only made phone calls. But this day will live on in my memory forever. This day is one of the reasons why my love for riding airplanes went away and never returned.
Now, here we are 24 years later. Unfortunately, many tragedies have happened since that day. They have not resulted in thousands of lives being lost like on 9/11, but they have left lasting memories especially for those directly affected. In today’s world, we now have cell phones and surveillance cameras that allow for more images when tragedies happen. These images circulate forever because we have social media and other video programs online. I think about a generation born since 2001 who sees these events easily and I think about the memories they form which can be traumatic to their development. When you see so many negative images it affects you. Having unlimited access to visuals can not be good in the long-term.
The Day After 9/11 and the many years that have gone by continue to affect many especially those who lost a loved one. Now imagine, a generation who have seen many mass shootings in schools, bombings, and even local community violence happen. When these types of events happen, we must remember the day, but we must also remember the day after. This is when the shock reduces and the long-term course of your mental takes place. My hope is that these types of events will find itself on a decline and we go into a phase of history where little to no tragedies take place.