Rant #1,979: The Morning After

Today is September 12, the day after the anniversary of what became known as "9-11," September 11, 2001, when terrorist acts on our soil led to death and destruction.

On September 11, 2017, literally 16 years after these heinous acts, life was truly somewhat back to normal for all of us, although no one of age could ever forget what happened that day 16 years ago.

Me, I was at my Kia car dealer getting a few things fixed.

I told my work that I would be in somewhat late on Monday, because these things had to get done yesterday morning for various reasons.

I had been in there two Saturdays ago, they did not have a specific part that my car needed, and with the Labor Day holiday in between, there was going to be a delay to get that part in the shop.

They called me when it came in, and I had an early appointment yesterday to get it put in.

Yes, if nothing signaled that life had gotten back to normal 16 years after that terrible day, I guess that me being at the car dealer getting my car fixed kind of showed that we have gotten back to normal, or at least a new normal.

I went into the waiting room, and the dealer had a big screen TV tuned to the news, and yesterday morning, the news was directed at the annual remembrance of that horrible day, which takes place at Ground Zero in New York City, where the World Trade Center was taken out by the terrorists on that fateful day.

What happens is that people directly impacted by that day--those who lost their close loved ones when the planes hit the structures--read off every name of people who are known to have perished in that tragedy.

Both youngsters and those older than that read off the names of wives, husbands, fathers, mothers, aunts and uncles and cousins and best friends, all of whom died during that morning.

Some have had their remains found, others, even to this day, have only been identified as being there when the planes hit, as none of their remains have ever been found.

I sat in the waiting room and watched the readers tick off the names of those who perished on that day, and I have to tell you, it was hard to watch.

It was especially hard to watch when young children were at the podium reading the names, and then telling us why they were there: they lost one of their parents (mainly fathers, as many were born after the tragedy happened), they are named after someone who perished, or they lost someone very close to them who they never met, like a grandparent.

Some people, both adult and child alike, had a hard time getting out the words to describe their loved one, and the anguish they have felt in describing this person to those assembled, including numerous politicians, and those watching on TV.

Yes, a tear came to my eye as I watched this, and as people also waiting for their cars to be done looked at their cell phones, dealing with everyday things while people cried and wept over their own personal tragedies.

Yes, the world has gotten back to normal, to a certain extent.

The readers had gotten to the letter "F", and finally, after a few hours, my car was done, and I left to go to work.

My visual connection to the proceedings was done, and I sped on my way to work.

Yes, it was a pain in the butt to have to go back to the dealer and have this done during the workday, but I really had no choice.

Thinking about just that, I then thought to myself, "What am I complaining about? Look at what those people have had to deal with," and I pretty much shook my head.

Yes, we have gotten back to normal, albeit a new normal, I thought, as I got closer to my destination.