My intention this Sunday was to write about the 20th anniversary of 9/11. But after spending the past few weeks reading and watching whatever I could find about that day, I know that isn’t going to happen.
One thing to come out of that horrific tragedy are the inspiring stories of the victims and survivors of the attacks. I’m ashamed to say that, despite living here for the past twenty years, I’ve spent far too little time appreciating what those people went through and the lessons that they’ve left for us. The 20th anniversary of their stories feels like a good time to start.
Here are some of the pieces I found most inspiring:
- Hulu’s 9/11: One Day in America
- Jennifer Senior’s What Bobby McIlvaine Left Behind
- Tom Junod’s The Falling Man
- Cal Fussman’s Cocktails Before the Collapse
One quick thought before I go:
On Saturday, riding my bike home in Brooklyn, I came across the scene of a recent accident. A woman was laying on the pavement, alive but immobile. A few feet away, tangled up in a moped, was the man who had hit her – also alive, but in bad shape. It was the type of scene you hope you’d have the guts to be a hero in.
But the place was already swarming with heroes.
Both victims were surrounded by people, some of whom were kneeling beside them, holding their hands and telling them help was on the way. Others were cordoning off the sidewalk and directing traffic, making room for the handful of emergency vehicles pulling in as I rode up. It was, despite the tragic circumstances, a shining example of New Yorkers helping one another.
That to me is the legacy of 9/11, and why we remind ourselves to never forget.
– Emmett