Wow. Five years already

Five years ago today we were supposed to be in San Antonio, on vacation. We slept in and woke up when my mom called to tell us to turn on the TV. The base was locked down before we could decide whether or not we should still go.

Last night's evening news showed some of the footage taken when the second tower fell. I'm getting chills just thinking about it. Eric watched the mini-series on TV last night, but I couldn't do it. I haven't seen the movies and I don't want to. I'm emotional enough as it is; I don't want to relive that day.

Are we safer today? I keep hearing that question. Personally, I just don't know. I think that if terrorists really want to get in, they're going to find a way. The reality is that there is no safe place. We're not protected by geography or security. Danger is all around us, and most of it is not man-made. The truth of the matter is that if it's your time to go, you can be alone in an empty room and you're going to go somehow. It sounds fatalistic, I know, but it's true. Heart attack or terrorist bomb, you're going to go somehow, and it doesn't matter how or when. What matters is what you do with the time allotted.

The people who died on 9/11 didn't think they were going to die when they left their homes that morning. Their spouses and kids went on as usual, not knowing that their worlds were about to be ripped to shreds. We shared in their devastation, just as we share in the grief and sorrow of the people fighting the terrorists today. Fear and anger in excess are counter-productive. Sometimes a small change can make a big difference. What are you doing today to make the world safer?