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Still too early to determine impact, rebound from Sept. 11 attacks

By Barbara Brown
September 11.
That date stands out in my head unlike any other.
And while it is still hard to really articulate my feelings about the attacks that are just one year old, I wanted to take some time to reflect on last yearís attack.
It was the day my generation became aware of factions outside our control that would do harm to Americans if just given the opportunity.
People of my generation have never really feared war. We never had to really worry about a severely fluctuating economy.
Even Desert Storm was a TV war and we watched, separated from the destruction and reality by the glowing screen which featured nightly raids like special effects in a sci-fi movie.
History classes never taught us to fear the power other countries could wield.
In fact, most of the classes I took taught me the opposite while we watched old Cold War ìduck and coverî educational films with full knowledge that hiding under a desk probably would have done nothing to save someone in the middle of a nuclear attack.
September 11 last year brought forth a sudden realization that life and freedom are fragile things that need to be respected and revered and protected, often with the blood of soldiers and civilians.
Growing up in Frederick County, Maryland, residents lived each day knowing how intertwined we were with military and government life.
Fort Detrick, an Army medical research base, is dotted with high-powered satellite dishes used in communications with other countries. The base also is the home of biological research including anthrax and ebola.
A vast number of people who live in and around Frederick work for the federal government.
Camp David, the presidential retreat is tucked in the woods atop the mountains in northern Frederick County.
As a Marine, my husband Michael had served four years on presidential security detail there.
My father works for the Department of Defense. Formerly in logistics and acquisition, he was teaching at the Industrial College of the Armed Forces at Fort McNair in Virginia on September 11.
One of his old offices was in the basement of the Pentagon.
Friends of the family are enlisted in the military and others are firefighters and police officers.
One Marine friend was trapped in the Pentagon when a jet crashed into its side, just down the hall from his office.
As he and his co-workers tried to escape, they had to navigate an obstacle course of debris and be on watch for floors that were no longer there.
A long-ago friend who wrestled with my brother on the high school wrestling team was killed when the towers collapsed and he was trapped in his office at Cantor Fitzgerald.
Everyone knows what happened that day, and I wonít spend my time regurgitating the facts.
Looking back over the past year, watching the news reels from Sept. 11 and trying to talk about what happened has become difficult.
It saddens me that I really donít remember much of that week. I remember the morning hours and I remember being at work. I remember being shock, scared and angry.
It almost doesnít seem real. It really doesnít seem possible that America was attacked.
So many stories of heroism, bravery, fear, pain and guilt have emerged since then and the American people as a whole have joined together and rekindled the dwindling ember of patriotism until it has become a bonfire once again.
Now, as we observe the anniversary that has so far this century defined American strength and ability, we face a possibility of once again heading to war.
It is too early to determine the full impact of September 11ís events on the future of America. The past year has not offered enough time to really even figure out what happened let alone what lies ahead.
One thing is for sure as America has done after so many domestic and foreign tragedies in the past, we will continue to rebound.
Work each day to make your life and the lives of others something to be proud of. Look out for each other.
Try to improve, on even the most basic levels the impressions of others about Americans.
Let us remember not only those who died, but also those who still live.
Remember the military. Pray for our nationís leaders that they make the best decisions for the country.
Observe this day in your own way. Take a moment of silence, pray for all those families who lost loved ones, think of the soldiers and support crews and remember that, deep down, America is the greatest country in the world and nothing will change that.

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