TWITL - week thirty-six - what we remember
As I write now, it’s September 11, 2021. Twenty years since 9/11. I won’t post this today but I thought I’d take that moment to pause, as one does on this day but I suppose especially this day twenty years later.
What did we learn from that day, from those days after, from that moment in history? People say, “Never forget.” I want to say, “What did we learn?” What did we learn about ourselves, about our place in the world, about our community, about our nation?
When people say, “Never forget,” do they mean for all of us to whirl back to that moment twenty years ago to relive the fear, the despair, the sorrow, the rage, the confusion? I haven’t forgotten that day but I certainly don’t want to remember the grief and pain, the silence, the numbness. Who wants to relieve the trauma and the loss?
Not me.
So what did I learn? I learned that even after such horror, we picked ourselves up and tried to put the pieces back together. We went back to work, we called our family and friends, we shared stories, we listened. I learned that the daily routine was precious in its own way. I felt guilty of being relieved that the people I knew were safe. I relished the odd silence of the clear skies. I worried what would happen in general and was glad when life became somewhat normal again. I worked at the jail at the time and the routine picked up again after a week or so.
I learned that we as a nation were quick to focus on an enemy and if that enemy looked like people here in the US, those people would get the side eye or worse by some. Usually worse. We really do love to “other” our own people and even now, twenty years later, we’re still doing it.
So no, I haven’t forgotten. How can anyone forget such a day? But I wonder, what did we learn?…
It was a hot week. The weather doesn’t care that it’s September. And it really is still summer. I’m looking forward to sweater weather. I want a little chill in the morning, maybe the need for a light jacket. It feels like it’s always going to be hot.
TV
Elementary (Hulu) - We finished the first season and started the second season. I love the twist of Irene Adler and Moriarty. Nicely done. JLM really is a fantastic Sherlock and I totally get why the show lasted so long on tv. Lucy Liu is great as Watson. She’s close to being my favorite Watson.
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+) - This isn’t one of those shows I need to watch right when it drops. I can wait to watch the episodes. Doesn’t mean they aren’t worth the watch because they definitely are worth it. I love that this show is funny and touching and sporty. If you have Apple TV+, this is definitely a show to watch.
Two days this past week, that rabbit was sitting in our front yard in that space between the bushes and the house. It freezes if it realizes that I’m watching it. It doesn’t move and has given me the chance to take pictures of it. Not sure who it belongs to and who’s feeding it but it’s not ours and we aren’t feeding it.
The 49er game just ended and apparently they wanted to make it exciting at the end? WTF
My overtime work has been tedious but not difficult. I like knowing that I’m doing something useful but I like even better that I’m getting paid time and a half for it. Extra money is always welcome!
Is it too soon to start brainstorming for National Novel Writing Month? Not at all! So yes, I am starting to think about what story I want to write in November. I’ve started some character sketches and plot considerations. The beginning is a bit clearer than the middle and end. I need to work on that for sure.
Here’s to a good week ahead to one and all. Wear your mask, keep your distance, wash your hands, and if you’re eligible, get that vaccine. We all want “normal” and those are steps to get us there…
Originally published at Kiari's Corner. You can comment here or there.