Ten years post 9-11. It is of course one of those dates that you remember where you were and what you were doing that day. It was as if time stood still, and you were watching a moving picture. Like those old black and white movies. It was haunting. Still is.

Please let me preface this with; I am not writing this as a political statement. It is merely our view of the events of September 11th, how they have affected us and those around us.

Having friends who lost husbands, and loved ones makes it even more real. Now you are no longer watching the movie, you have become a player. It’s not really where anyone wants to be, but the choice was made for us.

In the ten years since the attacks, many things have changed yet much has remained the same. The change was inevitable, and much had to happen .Of course some of the change is up for debate in the court of public opinion .I am not willing to step to the witness stand for this one.  The obvious needed to change; security in all facets, heightened security alerts, governmental changes as well as many other changes. Then ultimately we became a Nation at war.

For the first month or so, I remember seeing American flags being flown everywhere! It was such a feeling of a country coming together. Flags on homes, cars; you name it. People seem to be a bit more polite to one another, and watch out for their neighbors.  Slowly those flags became less and less apparent and people seem to become cold to one another. Why would that be? This issue of terrorism is still looming over all of our heads. Life as we know it has forever changed in an instant! But, have we forgotten so quickly?

I referred to a friend earlier who lost her husband during 9-11. He was NYFD. A hero. While everyone was running away from the Twin Towers, he and his ‘brothers’ were running into them. That was their job. They saved so many lives that day, along with the NYPD, the Port Authority and many others. So many risked their lives to save others. There were so many stories of heroism from that fateful day; we would need a whole website to dedicate just to that.

In the aftermath of the attacks, there are now so many lives affected it seems astounding. From those directly affected by loss or otherwise or to those whose loved ones have chosen to enlist in Military service in the wake of this tragedy. Of course as we all know, war inevitably creates loss. Casualty is the horrific reality of war that none of us want to face, but needs to be addressed and needs to be acknowledged. Our Military members are heroes and need to be addressed as such.

A tragedy as catastrophic as 9-11 should be enough to make everyone stand up and take notice , even 10 years later .Obviously we all need to be aware of our surroundings, but we need to respect them and each other as well. It seems that many of us have ‘short term memory’ and ‘instant gratification’ syndrome. Something happens, and we are quick to help for the moment, and then the moment fades and so do the memory and the support. As a country and as human beings, we need to keep it together and support each other, our country and those who are serving to protect our freedom.

I tend to be a bit of a research hound. Anyone who knows me knows I am always armed with a plethora of information in reference to the subject at hand, and I like to look at ‘things’ from a different perspective. Sometimes a fresh view is all you need.

In doing some research I came across the Symbolic meaning of the number 911. I found it quite profound, and hope that it may bring some to a renewed sense of patriotism and respect for humanity. It’s worth a shot, anyway.

Here is what I found. The number one’s deal with strong will, positivity, pure energy as well as new beginnings, and innocence. So to tell the symbol story of 911, we may conclude that this number meaning as a whole deals with starting out in a new direction the hope of obtaining accomplishment, release, satisfaction or even creative expression. All things considered, we can start fresh, be positive and begin to realize that we are all on the same team. If we do not continue to keep that united front we will succumb to the very enemies that created that initial united front to begin with.

Let me leave you with this. For some of us, 10 years has faded the memory of that horrific day .For some of us the news has desensitized us to the perils of war. On this 10th Anniversary of the worst attack on American soil, we at Parise Racing want to remind everyone to always fly your American Flag proudly. Be there for you neighbor if he or she needs you. And lastly please remember our men and women of the Armed Forces who risk their lives every day all to protect our Freedom.

“Human kindness has never weakened the stamina or softened the fiber of a free people. A nation does not have to be cruel to be tough.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Story by Dina Parise

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