The Day the World Stood Still

I turned on my tv, and the very first thing I saw was an image of two burning buildings. Two very tall burning buildings -- the tallest buildings in the city landscape.

It should've been a clear summer day, but the sky was darker than midnight. The looks on the faces of onlooking New Yorkers were even darker.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. Planes crashing into buildings. Fire. Smoke. Buildings topple. Devastation on a scale that I have never before witnessed in twenty-five years of life. Devastation on a scale that I pray I will never witness again.

I've witnessed natural disasters up-close and from a distance, but Tuesday's disaster was beyond horrific, because there was nothing natural about it. Innocent men, women, and children eradicated from the face of the Earth in the name of psychotic terrorism. Methodical, conscienceless terrorism against unknowing victims. True cowardice.

Shock. Disbelief. Anger. Rage.

Everything changes. I see the world in a different light. My old priorities came crashing down with the Twin Towers. Before Tuesday's tragedy I could name-off utility infielders quicker than I could world leaders. Before Tuesday's tragedy I would bypass the evening news to watch sports highlights that I've probably already seen. Now I don't care if the sports world takes off a week, a month, or a year, for that matter.

Our society once idolized professional athletes--and some day we may again--but now we are seeing the true heroes of this world. Fire Fighters, Police Officers, Military, and everyday citizens are working around the clock--deprived of sleep and peace of mind--pushing through the barriers of exhaustion in a selfless attempt to rescue fellow human beings, both relatives and perfect strangers. People around the globe are lining up for hours on end to donate blood. We are now seeing definitive heroism in a fearful world landscape. True heroism lives.

70 homeruns in a season doesn't exist in the real world now. The only statistics that matter are the number of people affected by the terrorist acts. Thanks to the efforts of brave Americans, countless lives were saved in New York City. Fire Fighters ran inside buildings knowing full well that the structures could collapse at any given moment. True bravery lives.

The free world as we know it is forever changed. Let us never again lose focus on what is truly important in the world. Our personal pedestals should now and forever be reserved for the everyday heroes in our communities.

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