9/11 7 years latter …

Today is the seventh anniversary of 9/11.
We all remember it, where we were, what we were doing and the days that followed.
I was driving home from work, I worked the midnight shift at the Prison, listening to Howard Stern.
He was making fun of it at first saying how stupid you would have to be to fly an airplane into a building … then the second one hit and time stood still.

Thousands died that day, thousands more after.
It plunged us into a War.
It took not parts, but Chunks of us and destroyed them.
We lost our innocence that day.
We also found out what fear was.
A lot of people found faith and a lot more lost it.
We did though, bond and became one people for the first time in who knows how long.

So many people have let it become just an event now and have moved on.
Let us remember though, it could happen again!

That day though, we all became brothers and sisters.
It proved that it didn’t matter what color skin you had because when we needed each other, we were there for each other.
Do you remember the pictures of the people covered in Ash?
The only skin color that day was gray!

I am afraid that that time has passed though.
We drive around now and forget to care about each other as much as we should.
How have we stopped caring about our fellow man already?

Today reminds me that I need to be a better person.
I don’t want people looking at my actions and saying ‘That American doesn’t care about his own people so why should I, kill them!’
You might not think they say things like that, I know better though!

So, take a moment and think about this:
We live in America, the Last Super Power!
We are a Melting Pot of people, ideas, faiths and everything else!
Let's be proud of who and what we are, and make it so that people don’t hate us, but are only Jealous of us.
Remember to care about anyone and everyone, no matter what.
To do that though, you must love yourself first.
So, find that thing that makes you you, and be proud of it, embracing it, then share it!

We walk around with our heads down afraid to make eye contact or worse, meet people?
Stop it!
Look up and Smile!
It is contagious, so try it.
Wouldn’t it be nice to think that your simple smile made someone a little happier?
Made them think that there was still good out there?
Took that negative thought they were having and threw it away?
A smile is a powerful tool!
Please don’t forget it!

What if you didn’t make eye contact with that guy?
What if you didn’t make him smile back and in that one second he felt a little happiness?
You know the guy … the guy thinking the world was filled with nothing but pain and suffering and that he wanted to hurt as many other people as he could on his way out of it?
What if someone would have just taken a second and shared some kindness with him?

Maybe we could avoid looking down into thousands of graves … again?

If nothing else please remember your friends and family today,
Remember that it could be the last day with them,
Remember it could be the last thing said to them … so make it a kind word,
Remember the public servants helping and looking over us every day,
Remember what kindness is,
Remember what Love is,
Remember how we all came together and that we can if, and when, we need to,
Please though, Remember the power of a smile!