Please take the rant below in a spirit not of attack, but of reflection and contemplation, and not as a put-down of anyone's personal commemoration of the events or September 11th:
I had a very quiet September 11th. I spent most of my time at home, did some work around the house, took the kids to the doctor, etc. I didn't want to go to any memorials or do anything specific to commemorate the day. That's partly because I have had a year of mourning for my father, and I do not want to mourn right now. It's also because all the Sept. 11th hoopla on the news was turning me off. Case in point: Last night, Michael and I were watching the news and all you could get last night was Sept. 11th coverage, replaying the day over and over again, eyewitness accounts, minute by minute coverage, analysis -- why do they think we must relive the event over and over again? Wasn't living through it the first time enough? All of the memorials and the coverage seemed "showy", as if I were watching an Oscar show. The tag lines on the news really got to me. It just didn't seem to fit the spirit of somberness and rememberance that should have been there. Even the big flame that President Bush lit reminded me too much of the big flame at the Olympic games. I compared it in my mind to Israel. Israel has "Yom Hazikaron", Remembrance Day, where they remember all the soldiers and civilians who have fallen in the wars there. Here's how they do it: It's a regular day, although a more somber one. People go to work. They just don't go out to the movies, to concerts, to discos, to eat -- they have a quieter day. There might be private observances across the country, in synagogues, communities, etc., but that varies community by community. Countrywide, at a certain time, they blow a siren and observe a moment of silence. Everything stops as people reflect on the meaning of the day. This siren goes for 2 or 3 minutes. It really makes an impact. It's amazing seeing all of these cars driving on the road stop, and people getting out and standing at attention while the siren is going. It gives you a sense of solidarity with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Maybe it's because in Israel, you will not find a single person who has not lost someone, or who does not know at least one person who gave their lives for their country, or for being a Jew. Here it's not that personal. Memorial day has become for most a barbecue holiday. I think what happened a year ago created more of that feeling of personal attachment in New York, but I don't think Americans really know how to commemorate that. I don't want to see September 11th become a barbecue holiday, and I don't think it's healthy for us to relive the events of that day, moment by moment, every year. We should have something in between, something that serves to remember those who were lost while letting us get on with our lives and keep living. Judith ______________________________________________________________________ Get the mailserver that powers this list at http://www.coolfusion.com Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/cf-community@houseoffusion.com/ Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
