WTC Tragedy: September
11, 2001
Community perspective
Perspective
by Kristy Castora -- kristyuva@aol.com
A WHOLE NEW WORLD-
AND THIS AIN’T THE DISNEY VERSION
When I look out the window
everything looks the same, but I know better. The streets look the same, the leaves fall
from the trees, people walk their dogs; yet we have a whole new world. The events of
Tuesday, September 11th have changed everything. It is a different world and I
am a different person.
I’m not trying to be
melodramatic, just realistic. Before Tuesday, I was fearless. I believed that I could do
anything, be anything. I never really considered an alternative. Our generation takes
pride in believing that we can take on the world. We have great expectations for what the
future has in store for us, and nothing is going to stop us from reaching our goals. Until
now.
Terrorism has put a question mark
where there used to be a period. Now I’m not saying that I’ve lost hope and that
it’s all downhill from here, but I am saying that there is doubt where there never
was before. These terrorist acts have challenged my innocence and my optimism. I no longer
feel invincible or in control. I must acknowledge the outside forces that control my
future besides my own will and desire. I’m not sure if the world is my oyster
anymore.
Right now, my world is in a
tizzy. I feel vulnerable and helpless in a way that I never felt before, and I’m not
sure about a lot of things…Will my heart ever stop racing when I hear a siren? How
long will it be before I can look at an airplane in the sky and not wonder if it’s
headed for disaster? When will I stop feeling scared?…And when the fear subsides,
does that mean that I don’t care or that I’m ignorant?…If I don’t cry,
does that mean that I don’t mourn those who have died?…Is it wrong to feel
relieved that my family and loved ones are ok?…Am I a fool to think that I’m
safe?
As the hype of these terrorist
attacks wanes, and the wounds of this tragedy start to heal, will we put away our American
flags? Attempting to return to our normal routines, will we become complacent and forget
about the atrocities that have united us? Will we stop being patient and compassionate
towards each other? Will we return to the "every man for himself" philosophy in
which I, Me, and My are the three most important words in our vocabulary? If that’s
what getting on with our lives means, then I’m not interested.
The attacks on
September 11, 2001 have forced me to take a closer look at what it means to be an
American. Freedom is the foundation of this great nation, and as a law-abiding citizen,
freedom is my right. Freedom has made me feel safe and fearless. Tuesday, terrorists
threatened to take all of that away. These events have changed me, and that is not a bad
thing. Although I am no longer fearless, I am aware and more determined than ever. I have
uncovered my greatest weapon against terrorism: courage. After all, courage is not the
absence of fear; it is forging on despite fear. It will take courage to face our
new world, but I am an American so I know I can do it. ###
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