Five Years Later: Fury

Fear subsided to fury, for some faster than others. I myself was very angry, almost forgetting the fear, only an hour after viewing the first tower fall. It was apparent in some, though others still were understandalbly gripped by fear (mostly those viewing the grizzly events) or a duty to finish their task (those living the grizzly events). But that changed.

Sadly, some did not channel their anger well. Racism became a real-life problem for many who had seen little or none of it in their lives. The fear that had gripped our lives would serve to create more fear.

However, this was not entirely true. Many channeled their anger towards more productive activities. People organized. Charity drives appeared out of nothing more than the kindness of strangers. Blood drives saw record donations. Even smaller gestures like courtesy on the road became the standard shortly after the attacks.

Some had a little more difficulty. After the fear and fury had both subsided, a numbness settled in. The next couple days came and went. While I can remember clearly the events of the morning of September 11th, that evening and the next day consist only of a memory of watching the events play out over and over again. Many others can claim the same. A sad truth, but it is safe to say that many felt emotionally spent after those events. But this too was temporary; we would all grow active as well.

Military recruiting was able to easily reach its goal, as many felt called to defend this country. We would build our fortitude; we would ensure our freedom.