September the 11th

September 11

9/11

9.11

Turns out it doesn’t matter much how you write it or say it — to yourself or out loud — the date carries weight in all of our minds.

A quick glance at the photos, video documentaries and interviews with people who were deeply impacted by the day’s events, and chilling, haunting memories come to mind. Not necessarily because we felt their pain, but it’s imaginable and, with thanks to the modern marvels of cell phones and T.V. cameras, we were all witnesses to events unfolding in New York City, Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, in one way or another.

And it’s probably a pretty similar situation for our parents and grandparents, who lived through the tumultuous decades spanning the second world war, the Great Depression, and the Cold War.

December 7— a date that arouses strong feelings in many of an older generation.

But for many, it’s no longer a date that brings grief or pain. It is certainly not that way for our age group.

Admit it, how many students immediately knew the historic event that occurred on December 7?

The answer is the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the day that lives “in infamy.”

On the other hand, our grandparents almost certainly remember that date and corresponding event with a firm grasp on their history.

It’s a date that stands out against others, to a significant degree. But so much time has passed, and so much life lived, that it’s questionable as to whether not it’s worth it to get bogged down in emotions of the past.

Let us be clear, here: The bombing of Pearl Harbor, like 9/11, is not something that should simply be forgotten, lost to the sands of time.

That is absolutely not what we are saying.

What we do suggest however, is that while keeping “the day that changed our nation’s history” in our minds tomorrow, we should also realize that there is room for life, hope and a future.

There’s so much to live for this weekend: Herky’s in town, for one. Coach Rhoads and his boys have a game to win. And their victory will be, in large part, due to whether you show up to the game hungry for a Cyclone victory.

There will be visiting family members, parties, celebration, laughter, love. These are things to cherish and things to immerse ourselves in fully.

December 7 has become a date of historical significance undoubtedly, but eventually, the past must be the past. So it must, at some point, be for 9/11. We think that this year we can begin that process.

Yes, remember the attack. Remember the nation that mourned together, as one.

Remember the soldiers who witnessed their country under fire and have since placed themselves at great personal risk to defend her.

Remember the victims of 9/11, and realize — humbly, gratefully — that you have what so many lost: You have life.

And don’t waste it.