Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sat: 9/11 --- Sun: VMAs

The popular hashtag on Twitter Saturday was #neverforget.  The phrase marked various 9/11 memories ranging from where people were at when they found out about the devastation to fresh political commentary.  Twitter wasn't an isolated memorial space though, as many Facebook statuses also declared for us to remember.  CNN & Fox were saturated with images and editorial that covered the trifecta of 9/11 past, present, and future.  

I shared my own thoughts on 9/11, but really resonated with Bill Arment and his post on Saturday:

But I remember how quickly life got back to normal after such unspeakable tragedy. It made me cringe a little at the human condition that something so terrible could leave us unchanged. This year feels different though. I don't know if it's the crazy guy in Gainesville just making us mad or what, but I like that we're being stirred again. I hope it lasts.

I hope it lasts.

9/11 did seem a little more real this year.  Regardless of wether it was because of Terry Jones, or Westboro, or the potential mosque being built - Ben hit the emotional connection right on the head with, "we're being stirred again."  I know I was.  For me Saturday was a deep day of emotions: from gratefulness to sadness to questions to really wishing I wasn't away from my family.  It stirred me.

I hope it lasts.

On 9/12 there were few headlines about 9/11 left on CNN & Fox.  Facebook statuses were a mix bag.  But Twitter did still have #neverforget in the top trending countdown.

Come Monday, 9/11 was gone from CNN & Fox, only on Facebook statuses because people just hadn't been online since Saturday, and #neverforget was forgotten from the top trending list, replaced instead with "meat dress."

Yes, MTV's Video Music Awards, the VMA's, took place on Sunday night.  Everything we remembered on Saturday was pushed to the backburner, replaced with expectations of Lady Gaga's next outfit and what would happen between Taylor Swift & Kanye.

I hope it lasts.

It didn't.

The stirring brought on by 9/11 this year didn't continue with most people.  Something more interesting came along, something more exciting, more entertaining, more pressing.  Hey, Lady Gaga wore a dress made entirely out of meat - that is indeed something to tilt the head at in wonderment.

If I had it though, I would bet a billion dollars that the feelings of Saturday are still present now, a mere 4 days later, with the loved ones of all the people mentioned HERE.

It does last for them.

If you are reading this now and know of someone who has recently experienced great loss, a crisis, a dark time, a hard time - you need to know: they are still feeling it.

Their thing for you might be "out of sight, out of mind" - but they don't forget.

And when you forget, they walk alone.

You have gotten busy, they are probably busy too - but they're still carrying the load.
You don't know what to say to them, they probably don't know what they need to hear - but they're still  trying to figure things out.
You wish they could just move on, they probably wish they could take a step forward - but they're still lost.
You've had deadlines pile up, to-do's unchecked, inboxes overloaded and it just slipped your mind what they are experiencing; they probably have their own deadlines, to-do's, and inboxes  - but regardless of how much they try, they can't get the thing out of their mind.

It didn't last for you.

It does last for them.

And when you forget, they walk alone.

Question: who has come to your mind while you are reading this?

Call them

Visit them

Listen to them 

Cry with them

Hug them

Don't send an email.  That's just a pathetic impersonation of caring done more to appease a guilty & busy conscious then it is an attempt to embrace someone.  Don't love lamely. 

Someone you know could care less about Lady Gaga's meat dress.

Someone you know is remembering.  They are still remembering.

Jesus has placed into your head the thought of what they experienced, what they are experiencing.  In this moment He has embedded their name onto your heart.

I hope it lasts.



Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2

No comments: