I don’t want to get to far into it here because there is a lot that can be said. I do want to share a little bit of my own experience however. It's been six years, but I don't think I've really shared this since then.
On my mothers side my family has been a part of this country since before its founding. I am often asked what my ethnic background is. When I’m asked, I often jokingly reply that I’m Pilgrim. My mother’s family arrived here on the Mayflower.
On the other side I’m Arab. My step-father's family is from Lebanon. Growing up, Lebanon was in a civil war. I heard a lot about what was going on there. I heard nostalgic expressions of how great things used to be, and how bad they’d gotten. When I was 11 I spent about 8 months there during the tail-end of the war.
I knew that people lived their lives there, war or no war. I also experienced it, I went to school, picked up food for the family. I was just a kid like anywhere else. But it was still a different world.
From my experiences and what I heard I knew there was a world out there, that was very different than the one I grew up with here. I knew I was fortunate to be growing up in the United States as opposed to many other places. Here there is a much more stable civil society than in many other places. Corruption is much lower and we enjoy a significantly stronger rule of law.
When the Oklahoma City bombing occurred my world was rocked. I couldn’t believe that something as horrible as that could happen here. I thought of the lives destroyed, those that died, and all those that were affected by it. There was however some reassurance in a sense that the Oklahoma City bombing was an isolated experience. It was the act of a few people who were found and brought to justice.
What happened to us on September 11, 2001, changed things permanently for me. The loss of life was, again devastating. The stories of heroism, and people working together to take care of each other were inspiring. But in Seattle, I was far removed from that.
For me on that day, I saw my world view change. Those two worlds I had once separated were separate no longer. The day the planes went down the world that I had known only to exist elsewhere, came flooding in. The country changed for me. The oceans no longer mattered as they once had. Our borders now reached out beyond the oceans.
That is what changed for me.
Hey Pilgrim,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us.
Sean Allen
You shared a lot about yourself here.
I lived in Izmir, Turkey from 83-85 and experienced a totally different world. We lived amongst the people and during that time I learned how simply a person could live and be happy with the necessities in life. I also learned quickly what it was like to walk around the city with the Turkish police/military in full force all over the place carrying guns. It was normal or so it seemed. I came back to the states and never took forgranted again what I do have...what we do have. And that is a structured part of the world where we bond, stick together and help one another when in need.
Wow, thanks everyone for the incredible responses. I have to say I’m very happy to read what you are all writing. I can very much relate to what a lot of you are saying. I wasn’t sure I’d come across very clear on this, your responses show me I did. Thank you.
Neal, I can’t relate. I can only begin to imagine. Thanks.
Sharon, I remember feeling that very acutely during the week following the tragedy. Thanks for the reminder.
Sally, I can agree that you develop an appreciation for a lot of things we have when you experience things like that.
Marchel, thank you, and thank your family.
Ines, you caught me. You’re right this is something different for me. It just came out. Thanks noticing and remembering. That means a lot to me.
Ryan I appreciate hearing your perspective as an Oklahoman. I feel it's important to remember the OKC bombing as well as 9/11/2001. Thank you.
I don't think anyone has felt the same since those tragic days. I can only agree with the others before me and say it's interesting to see this side of you.