The Aftermath

I was reliving Sept. 11, 2001 last night, thanks to the help of the History Channel, which was running a real-time account of that morning's events.

THC made it such a human story, utilizing a lot of footage shot at street level that really focused on the people of New York. The thing that struck struck me so strongly was the innocence on the faces of those witnessing events that were beyond their comprehension.

There was no frame of reference. Nothing like this had ever taken place on American soil. With sympathetic reactions to the tragedy unfolding before their eyes, they had no idea what was really happening. Okay, so an airliner flew into the north tower of the World Trade Center. We had seen accidents like this. Rare as it was, it was not unbelievable.

But when the south tower was struck 17 minutes later, whether first-hand or by way of broadcast, every person watching it was snatched out of reality into a surreal landscape that resembled nothing in his or her experience. Suddenly we were in a cinema watching yet another doomsday flick. Right?

But all too soon, we realized that this was reality, strange as it was -- painful as it was A new reality was thrust upon us.

Yet still we had no idea how our world was about to change.

Looking back over the eight years since then -- it really was a different world wasn't it?

That innocence will never be regained.