1. 14 years seem to have flown by. Personally, 2001 was a rough year. I was struggling my way through my first few weeks of student teaching when 9/11 happened. My parents were supposed to be flying home that day (they ended up driving home), and my future in-laws were in the air, landing at Logan Airport in Boston that morning. I was essentially alone that afternoon and evening, trying to absorb the news and find out how far-flung friends and family were doing. I was dating M at the time, and we talked on the phone, but I don't think she came over.
2. I have really grown apart from many friends since that date. I was all of 5 years out of college, age 27, at that time. I didn't make any lasting friendships in college at Stanford, so I relied on friends from high school and from Intervarsity at UNLV for support. It's surprising how far apart those friends have grown since then. We barely see the ones that are still in town any more, except mostly on Facebook.
3. Speaking of Facebook, did it even exist in 2001? Now it's got 1 billion users.
4. I wouldn't trade my family for anything. Family and friends make life worth living.
5. Memory plays tricks on you. Going back that far is hard for me. It gets too close to some painful memories involving a severe depression that preceded 9/11. I'm glad I got help before that day.
6. Speaking of depression, does anyone know any good jokes? They say it's important to laugh at yourself, so I'm trying to lighten the mood. Humor is helpful.
7. People absorb ideas through film and TV much easier than through reading. How has our culture changed since 2001? Look at the popular films and TV shows from 2000: Gilmore Girls tops the list. Now, in 2015, the list is dominated by serious dramas and heavy action thrillers. This list may change, as time goes on, but for right now, I'd say we're in a serious comedy drought. Our culture has absorbed 9/11 in a lot of ways, and has become more extreme in its violence and its sense of itself as embattled. Some things never change -- Star Wars, for example, will continue to draw a large crowd. But even that franchise has gotten darker and more violent over the years. Does anyone remember any other movies from 1977? I'm not sure, but the Oscar that year went to a little film called Annie Hall by Woody Allen. I'm not sure 2015 has room for a whimsical film like that to make an impact.
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