9:11 a.m.

I looked at my watch this morning at exactly 9:11. These little moments happen to me occasionally, it's a by product of having a (sometimes excessively) observant personality. In those little moments I used to think of the Porsche of the same name. 7:47 was another time of day which always inspired a moment like that. Today, being the 5th anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center, the time on my wrist inspired different thoughts.
I, like the majority of Americans, was not directly affected by the attack. By which I mean that I didn't see it, I wasn't there. I don't live in New York, and I lost no loved ones or friends, or even any acquaintances. Not directly affected, but affected, to be sure.
I was disillusioned before 9-11. Most of us were, I would say. The idea had never occured to me that there are groups of people in the world for whom my religion, my lifestyle, my country are so grievous that my life is of no consequence to them. The very idea is so completely backwater and uncivilized that it stunned most of us, I think.
I'm not honestly sure anymore where I was going with this.

We'll move on. It will be slow, but we started on 9-12 and no one can stop us. Not Islamic or any other brand of terrorists, and not the elected officials who would try to leverage our fear.

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