Happy Birthday, Lisa

Usually, a day is a day, the name of a month, a number between 1 and 31, a day name, and the two or four digit year. Some days are special. July 20 is a special day for me. Some special days differ every year, like Thanksgiving and all the bank holidays (except the 4th and Christmas). Those days come around once a year and get some special attention. Then there are those days that get special attention all the time. The date that we see in headlines and in articles, we hear from the mouths of pundits, polititians, and even friends.

Most disasters and big events have specific names - the '89 quake, the tsunami, Katrina, the floods in '93, Oklahoma City, Waco, the bridge collapse, the WTC Bombing. I resisted using the emergent moniker for the World Trade Center Attack, starting with "what happened last Tuesday", but eventually, I had to give in to the overwhelming lexicon. Nine Eleven, September 11. We don't just hear that in late August and early September, it is omnipresent, but yet, this year, it is just another business day. I went to class, and today, I went to work, had a phone meeting with that guy in Houston, booked a hotel room, and sent an email to a legal secretary in Africa.

But the RFP I printed had the date stamped as September 11, 2007, and my phone displayed Sept 11, and I can't help remembering, not just that day, but every bit of bullshit and horror that we've justified because of it. Today is just a day, but all around me were memories of sitting in my dorm room in disbelief, of whispering in Spanish class, and then finally confirming the shock. In retrospect, 9/11 didn't change a damn thing. Our news is still full of fluff, we're still afraid of the wrong things, and we still think the economy is just great! 9/11 didn't end when they cleared away the debris or had the final body count. Our brief (hopefully) period of history will be best identified as "The 9/11 Years".

Then there are those 16.5 million people that were born on September 11, including our friend Lisa. I know you've been talking and thinking about this more than anyone else (except maybe those other millions of people). Happy 26th, Lise. I hope you had the cake of your choice, recieved wonderful presents, and found great joy in your adorable daughter.