[Johnny Stew]

It's really hard to believe it's been three years... the memories are still so fresh.

Sometimes when I close my eyes I can still see the images of that day... which I'm sure is true for the majority of people who witnessed the events on television.
I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like for those who actually witnessed them in person.

I still can't wrap my head around the sheer number of lives lost in one fell swoop, or the thought that every single one of those lives touched untold numbers of other lives in their short time on this Earth.

This tragedy most certainly had a global effect, and it's not an exaggeration to say that everyone was affected on that day.

What makes this tragedy even worse, is that it seems we still haven't learned any lessons.
The world is still filled with hate-mongers and war-mongers. Selfish and self-centered people still abound everywhere you look.
We haven't become kinder, more compassionate people. We haven't looked inside ourselves for answers. We haven't worked hard enough to make this world a better place for everyone.
People still ask, "what's in it for me?"
People are still just as aggressive and mean-spirited as before.

A tragedy of the magnitude of September 11th shouldn't simply cause people to be kind and decent for a few weeks or a few months, it should cause people to understand the importance of being compassionate and understanding for a lifetime.

They always say, "Live everyday as if it's your last"... but I think it's more important to treat everyone you come in contact with as if it's their last.
It's harder to be hateful or spiteful towards someone, when you consider that it might be their last day on this earth.