Remembering 9/11/2001
By Tom Horvath, Ph.D.
Today is too important an anniversary to pass over. Thousands died, tens of thousands were directly harmed, and all Americans and the world were indirectly harmed. There were and continue to be tens of thousands of stories of struggle and heroism as individuals, families, and communities coped with and continue to cope with those events and their aftermath.
A set of events such as 9/11 reminds us that on occasion something is so important that we are ready to sacrifice for it, even to make the ultimate sacrifice. I have seen an interview with the pair of pilots who flew unarmed fighter jets, ready to crash into Flight 93 so that it would not hit Washington, DC. They were ready to die to protect others. However, the determined action of the passengers on Flight 93 brought down that airplane before the fighter jets could reach it. At least 4 passengers and the remaining flight crew went into action at 9:57AM, after 32-year-old Todd Beamer’s famous “let’s roll.” The plane crashed at 10:03AM, hitting the ground upside down at a steep angle, killing everyone, but not hitting the capital.
This anniversary can be a reminder to think about what is most important to us. We may never be called to act as dramatically as those in the four planes and the four crash sites. One can never be fully prepared for such horrific events. But some preparation could be helpful. What am I willing to die for? Who am I willing to die for? What cause am I willing to die for?
Most of us will never face these questions in action. However, most of us will be faced with a parallel question: What am I willing to live for? That question returns us to the general theme of this blog, addressing addictive problems. Addictive problems keep us from living well, from living what we could live for.
There are many, many answers to this question about what to live for. Do I want to contribute, to feel satisfaction and happiness, to have excitement and stimulation? There are innumerable ways to accomplish each of these general ends, and we might be able to accomplish all of them to some degree.
I hope this anniversary of 9/11 will remind us about our gift of life and help guide us to make use of and enjoy that gift to the best of our abilities and circumstances.
