I have one more John Deere story to share, but it did not seem right to have an ordinary blog topic on 9-11. With each passing year, the memories of the terrorist attacks become less vivid and more people are “of age” who do not remember them except from history lessons. This blog is a token effort to remind us to stop and reflect on the impact of this event on our country.
I recently wrote* that I visited the 9-11 mobile exhibit that was staffed by retired New York City firefighters. One of them was asked about his feelings on the memorial that was built on the site. “I was not for it in the beginning,” he said. “But now I see it as a way for people to remember what happened there.”
I am all for whatever helps people remember what happened on this day. Maybe it is because I was in Manhattan while the site was still raw with twisted steel that this event had such an impact on me. Perhaps it is because of the scope of damage or the vulnerability I felt because of an attack on our soil. But this day makes me think of all the men and women who served as first responders, all those who still function in that role across the country as well as the thousands who have defended our freedoms through service in the armed forces.
Take a moment today to remember, and especially on this day, strive to be a patriot yourself.
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*See Blog #1184, August 29, 2015: http://leadershipdots.blogspot.com/2015/08/1184-never-forget.html
My photos from November 2001 at the Trade Center site