Saying nothing on 9/11

I could sit here and write about where I was that day 13 years ago. I could talk about what our country has been like since that fateful day. I could reflect on the lives lost or the wars fought or the question of our safety and security. I could put forward or refute some conspiracy theories regarding the events of September 11th, 2001.

I plan on doing none of those things.

It has been a while since I have written anything. When I last posted something it was about how the modern world kind of sucks, and the way 9/11 is commemorated is most certainly an example of that. There is no denying the magnitude of that day and of the events that followed. It changed our national story and affected people across the globe, so it's understandable that we would all be made very aware of what day it is. However, it seems like there is less effort spent on reflection or commemoration than on making statements that let the world know that we are reflecting and commemorating. Does that make sense?

I suppose what I am trying to say is that we live in a world where reflection is a thing used to take self portraits, as opposed to an active method of listening to ourselves.

To me, reflection means slowing down and really thinking about something. It means considering a subject deeply and personally. It ultimately requires us to come to terms about how something affects us, or how an event has shaped us. I believe reflection is an action, but one that requires focus. To reflect, we need to be still. Unfortunately, that is becoming harder to do.

Every little thing gets shared with the world now. Every moment, no matter how banal, is broadcast to anyone who will listen. Before anyone accuses me of singling out friends on Facebook who wrote something heartfelt about 9/11, I'll remind you that most media outlets report on trends they see on Twitter, which is why today, for some reason, I saw a headline that read "Area sports teams remember 9/11 with #NeverForget". The story details how High School sports teams have used Twitter to mark the occasion. That's not a story. It's nothing. It is a waste of time and bandwidth to even publish something like that. There's nothing there that indicates anyone reflected on anything, only that the teams used a hashtag to remind everyone what day it is. That really isn't anything, is it?The "article" does have a paragraph that made me double to check to see if it was from a parody site. I have added bold print for emphasis, though it isn't really necessary:

Hagerty High Sports called for action saying, “Let’s do more than a moment of silence today, instead talk constantly about 9/11 and how it affected you and others #NeverForget.”

Could there be a better example of what I mean?

The lack of reflection goes beyond social media and smart phones and all the other stuff the kids like and I hate. We live in a society where someone is always trying to sell you something or make you aware of their brand. National tragedies may once have been off limits, but that time seems to be behind us now. Last year, AT&T was forced to offer an apology after they ran an ad that people felt was exploitative. To be honest, I feel like this is probably one of the less horrendous kinds of 9/11 marketing I have seen. But that hasn't stopped a number of companies from doing the same this year. Evidently there few companies as patriotic and reflective as FleshlightFleshlightFleshlight.

This kind of thing seems to be everywhere. Who can forget a local Marriots sincere desire to remember the fallen - "In remembrance of those we lost on 9/11 the hotel will provide complimentary coffee and mini muffins from 8.45 - 9.15am." 

Consider that for a moment. Whoever concocted this tribute could not slow down and reflect long enough about the days importance,  a half hour of muffins and coffee would be seen as some kind of statement. This is Kennedy-getting-shot moment for this period in history, a day where everyone can remember where they where when they learned about the attacks. A day that changed everything for our entire nation - commemorated with miniature pastries and watered down coffee.

A visit to ground zero and the newly opened 9/11 museum offers little by way of reflection. The reflecting pools are beautiful, and the site, now open to the public without a wait is actually a very nice space. I really cannot imagine how else the site could have been used. Yet it is a noisy, crowded place that gave me an unsettling feeling when I visited in June.

Because of the nature of the events that took place there, it draws many tourists, much as Civil Way battlefields do. They come, by the thousands, to look at the footprints of what were, at one time, the tallest buildings in the world. But they are there, with screaming children in tow, smiling for the camera and taking selfies, as if they were in front of Niagara Falls. I wanted to be mad about it, but as nice the memorial is, it is a lot like a park. There are benches, there is grass, large fountains. Set at the foot of the nearly-complete Freedom Tower, the memorial serves as the only large expanse of open space south of Central Park. Aside from a few guards who remind people not to climb on the wall of names that surrounds each fountain, there is nothing to suggest that ground zero is a place of reflection. It's merely an attraction.

To be completely honest, I have no idea if the September 11th museum is much better, as I have not been. But it would not be a truly American place if it did not have a gift shop. No trip to the depths of national anguish would complete without a hoodie, a keyring, or a baseball hat. It was the 9/11 cheese plate, however, that convinced me never to go. Seriously, take a look at that link. There is simply no time to reflect when there are so many opportunities to capitalize on your visitors. So, today, I am saying nothing. Not on Facebook, not on Twitter, not even here. I would rather sit silently with my own thoughts. Staying present and still are things that I already struggle with as it is, but I would hate for a reflective moment to be completely vanish amid the noise and the sales and tweets.