It’s been four years since the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington DC. No American reading this blog can ever forget waking up on the morning of 9/11/2001 and learning that our collective national future had been suddenly and forever changed. I certainly never will. I was shaving, listening to NPR on my little bathroom radio, as the first confused reports of a light aircraft flying into the World Trade Center started coming in. The rest of the day – hell, the next few days – are seared into my memory, and, no doubt, into yours.
When it comes to shared memories of sudden, shocking, life-changing events, my generation has four big ones: JFK’s assassination, the Challenger explosion, 9/11, and, now, Hurricane Katrina. And you know what? That’s enough for any generation. Hey, God? Enough, already!