By Lauren Miller
Managing Editor of Opinions
It was my third birthday- a day filled to the brim with opening presents and eating cake. But 15 years ago, my “big day” was tinged with something much darker and more complex than I would ever know.
As my mom filmed me tearing open the wrapping to a new set of Barbie dolls, she also had the television playing in the background, as fear and smoke filled the air of New York City. The contrast is striking: I had absolutely no idea of the implications of what was occurring right in front of my eyes. My world was a tricycle and a few puzzles; everything else was far, far away.
That day must seem surreal to so many people. Lives were taken without warning, loose ends were left untied. It is truly unbelievable how much the incidents of that day impacted every single person living in the United States and beyond, and continue to impact us today. On its 15th anniversary, I believe we should all take an extra moment to reflect on what we may or may not remember from this day, a decade and a half ago.
This year will be the first time that Newton South will have students walking its halls who were not alive during the attacks. While September 11, 2001 may seem increasingly irrelevant as the years go by, it is just as important now as it ever was to continue discussing and learning from it. However horrific, this day played a huge role in shaping the country we now live in. Not only should we memorialize those we lost, but we should be aware of the cruelty that has arisen out of the fear of future attacks.
As the years go by, we spend an increasingly smaller amount of time on this event in school. Of course, September 11th falling on a Sunday this year does not help, but this topic is one that is essential to delve into, especially because it is one that we often only learn about through personal accounts instead of historical data and even more recent reflection. I find that every year I hear at least one detail I had not previously known about the attacks, and so, particularly for incoming classes that may have little knowledge on what actually happened that day, it is important that we share the full story in some way.
Whenever someone asks what day my birthday falls on, my response elicits a series of “oooooh, that sucks” or “I’m sorry”‘s. While I half chuckle, I’m partially grateful for their response because I am able to establish an extra moment of remembrance. “Never forget” is an important idea, but we must take tangible steps to ensure that we not only remember, but truly understand the events of September 11th, 2001.
