Bad anniversaries.

September 11th is just about upon us again so, we will commemorate the day with a reading of names of the victims of the attacks at Ground Zero but, I wonder when the time will come when we don’t mark the day in such a manner anymore. We don’t do it for Pearl Harbor, when do we stop doing it for September 11th?

It’s not that I’ll forget that day, I don’t think anyone will forget it but, when do we move on?

It might sound crass but, I imagine we as a nation or a society could spend every single day of the calendar year commemorating lives lost whether through earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, bridge collapses, fires, shooting sprees or even terrorist attacks. When do we stop indulging ourselves by wallowing in our grief and just go forward?

The other thing I think too, if we are going to mark the day, if we are going to make it some kind of day of national memoriam, we should take the best that came out of that day and use it to make us a better people.

What do I mean you might ask?

Well, if we can say there was one good thing that came out of the day, it was how we as a nation showed our love and support of one and other. I can tell you for sure, people here in New York City were just a helluva lot nicer to each other in the weeks after the attacks. There was a civility, courtesy and compassion during those days that spoke a lot about what New Yorkers are made of. Beyond that, people from around the country rallied together in a show of solidarity and community.

If we are to take anything away from that horrible day, let it not be the senseless violence of the event but rather, the example set by the people who went out of their way to help absolute strangers; fireman, policeman, even ordinary office workers who did their level best to cope with a terrible situation and to put others ahead of themselves.

Maybe, instead of reading the names of the dead, if we must mark that horrible morning, can’t we use the example of those brave people and transform the day into a kind of National Service Day? By National Service Day, I mean a day when we volunteer a bit of our time to help out people in our community showing the same spirit of the people who set such an incredible example for us through their actions?

It’s a small gesture on the part of each of us but, I can’t help but think that the people who sacrificed their lives trying to save others would appreciate it. Meanwhile, it would make something wonderful out of that anniversary and at the same time make a statement to the people that carried out such a despicable act that we will never be defeated.