The day the world changed... again.

I've talked on the show about my rememberances about the Challenger explosion in January of 1986. I thought that was my generation's moment frozen in time. Then came 9/11/2001.

For me, looking back over the last 10 years, it seems like our country has changed a lot, and in some ways, lost a lot.

On 9/10 in 2001, I was at the Phoenix, Arizona airport. It was the beginning of what I call my 'travel years'. It was the first time I had flown anywhere as an adult. On the flight out, I remember how impressive the travel was. I walked through the airport, a basically un-noticable security check, and down to the gate. We boarded and enjoyed leg room and a flight half full. We were served a steak dinner with silverware (real, stainless steel silverware), glass coffee cups - the whole works. The trip back was much the same except for a typical flight delay. But as the delay lengthened, I began to consider options of staying an extra night. That would have had me flying back to Wisconsin on 9/11 and I had an important day at work that day for a client event. (There was no significance to the day otherwise at that point).
I decided to wait it out and arrived in Milwaukee around 1am. I never would have imagined that had I chosen to leave just 9 or 10 hours later that I would have been stranded in Arizona as all air traffic would be halted for the only time in our nation's history.

I often look back at 9/11 as the point where it seems to me, things began to get tougher. There was a lot going on in our country we didn't realize then; things that really had no direct relation to the events of 9/11. Yet, I often wonder if that day didn't create an unexpected intersection of the dot.com bubble bursting, the irresponsible mortgage lending, the financial meltdown, the housing bubble bursting, the restrictions on our personal freedoms and the continuination of an unsustainable federal fiscal spending policy.

For me, that was the day things changed. Initially, the unity of the country kept us going. But as the unifying patriotism faded, it seemed to me that the anger in people did not. But instead of keeping the focus on those outside our country who would seek to do us harm, that anger has seemed to turn brother against brother.

When I see what's happening in America today compared to ten years ago, I'm saddened that we have become so divided. And I'm angered by the thought that the terrorists may have been aiming for exactly that.

So as I look back at 9/11 ... I'd like to pass along an item that circulated its way through my inbox this week. Perhaps its one we can all agree on:

I have a prayer request. There's a lady I've known forever. She's very sick. On top of that, she's being abused by those she has given everything to. Lies about her abound, and seem to come from all sides. Just breaks my heart. Seems there's nothing I can do alone. But maybe, if we join in and lift her up together we can heal her. She's well over 200 years old, but way too young to die. Her name is America... and I love her.

May God bless your contemplation of 9/11/2001 and continue to provide help and healing.

--Tim