Archives for 2008

In our sleep, pain that cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart, until in our despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God.

Last year, through a stroke of complete luck, I won a trip to Washington, DC to visit some sites — and one of them was a VIP tour of the Pentagon – which I had never visited.

A young Coastguardsman took us into one spot that I didn’t expect to get to visit – the Memorial Chapel that was built inside the rebuilt-section of the Pentagon – at the exact place where the plane struck the building seven years ago today.

It was one of the quietest places that I have ever visited.

Just outside the glass there – we could see the memorial that was dedicated this morning being constructed.

[Video Removed due to CNN Stupidity]

There are few things as haunting to me as the sound of Amazing Grace being played on bagpipes – and the scene of this man, a member of our Coast Guard, marching solemnly through the memorial as a part of its dedication – reminds me again of all that I felt.. as I stood in the Memorial Chapel just a year ago – and read the names on the wall.

I said everything that I think I will ever have to say about 9/11 four years ago:

In the end, I think we all have the responsibility to remember what happened that day – to us – to our fellow man – here in our own country.

A few weeks ago, while having coffee with a peer in Minneapolis, our conversation steered towards the impact of September 11th on our lives – both personally and professionally.

She pulled out her PDA – tapped on it a few times – and spun it around so that I could read it.

It was her calendar – turned to September 11th, 2004 – and it showed just one word:

Remember