#3 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn 2005

When September 11 occurred I was in third grade. They didn't let us watch. They took us out on the black top outside and told us afterwards. I didn't understand the extremity of the occasion. I knew that I was supposed be sad, and I thought that I should be scared. I tried to act both, but I didn't conjure up any real sympathy. I was too young to understand.  

I figured out how terrible of a thing it really was as the years past. But I still do not think I grasped the reality of it. It was a terrible thing that happened years ago when I could not understand it and therefor I still did not grasp the entire concept. It was not until ninth grade did I truly understand. 

I was in Civics class on the anniversary of that terrible day. Our teacher told us that he watched the towers fall on his television with his students. Not a single sound was made. After it was over, he said that he turned to his class and said,

"We have just watched hundreds of people die."

Then it hit me.  It had taken me six years, but now I finally felt as I should have felt in 2001. My empathy had finally caught up to me. Now reading this book unearths all of that again, plus all my shame for having taken so long to realize how awful it was for everyone. it is almost like karma, coming back to haunt me. I didn't give enough of my sympathy then, and so I must make up for it now. 

#2 102 Minutes by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn

One horrible aspect about September 11 is that fact that so many measures could have been taken against it. In 1993 a terrorist attack was taken against the World Trade center, identifying it as a target. Since then, Firemen and Policeman were encouraged to work and train together to eliminate miscommunication errors. Brand new handheld radios were given to both departments that went unused.  As it was, miscommunication ended up being a large factor in the chaos of 9/11. Nobody could get in touch with those trapped inside the building and contradictory orders concerning the evacuating of the second tower confused things further. May people were being told to stay while others were told to leave. 

In addition, many fire codes were bent or broken during construction of these two buildings to increase profitability. Because of this, fires were everywhere and the poisonous smoke added to the confusion. The crash of the plane had knocked out the water pipes that supplied the water sprinklers and soon the fires consumed several floors. It came to the point where the Firefighters no longer even thought of putting out the fire. The only thing to do know was rescue those whom they could.  

Another fact that makes me the most sick of all was that WE helped prepare the terrorists. They learned to fly here in the United States. Normally, I would not hold this against the U.S., but in this case we were given an extraordinary clue. They told us that they wanted to learn how to fly a plane, but did not care to learn how to land it. 

102 Minutes Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn 2005

This book that I am reading now is about the people who were inside the Twin Towers in the 102 minutes that it fell. I have not gotten to deep into the book itself yet. Right now, it is opening up with the normal routines of ordinary peoples lives. A managing director of a firm is trying to get off the phone with his wife, a secretary begins work as usual.  No one would even think to guess about the catastrophic tragedy that was about to take place. It never occurred to anyone to kiss their wives twice this morning, or tell their kids how much they loved them, because they might not get another chance. It was just another ordinary morning.

Reading this, I was reminded of how fragile life was. I could die today. Just last Sunday a boy at our school was shot. Such tragedies are a fact of life. "In the midst of life comes death," as the quote from the bible says. But we often forget that, "In the midst of death comes life." I know that it is a rather worn point to use, but we must live every day as if it were our last. We have been known to ignore the fragility of life when it no longer applies to us. We leave each other on bad terms and let arguments keep us separated for years. If we should die, do we really want to leave that behind unresolved? Love is the one necessity you have to give away. Never stop giving.

#4 The Lost Symbol Dan Brown 2009

The other day while I was in math class my teacher noticed my book, The Lost Symbol, that I had with me, and asked if I was enjoying it. I replied that I was, and he said that he was reading it too, and did not like it so far. The class found this immensely funny and although I know he did not mean to, I felt as if our teacher had singled me out. I defended myself by saying you had to like mysteries and be able to put up with the pace the characters took. The teacher replied by saying he liked mysteries, and I felt more out of place than ever. Did I just have bad taste in books? I have had what other people have called "poor taste" in movies and food, but literature was the one thing I have always prided myself on. Could I be losing my touch in that field as well?  

It was to my great satisfaction when, the next day, the same teacher confided in me that I was right.  The plot had picked up speed since he last read it and he was now just as interested as I was. 

I allowed myself a moment of joy for my triumph. I was right! The unfolding, baffling clues were not only intriguing to me but to others as well. I still knew a good book when I read it, and, The Lost Symbol has certainly been one of them.

#3 The Lost Symbol Dan Brown 2009

Throughout the book the main character, Robert Langdon, is highly skeptical of the reason he is there. He believes that all the clues he has been given to decipher all mean the same thing: the "portal" he is looking for is metaphorical, not literal. Everyone else around him is convinced otherwise. As Langdon was conversing with another Mason on the topic, the Mason cryptically remarked, 

"There are forces at work tonight that you do not yet comprehend. There is no turning back." Langdon could not comprehend how said "forces" could have been put into motion by what had occurred. When he said as much, the blind Mason replied, "Of course you can't, Professor. You do not yet have eyes that can see." 

This is a very powerful statement. Recently I have gone to Dialogue in the Dark, an exhibit in which they show you just what it is like to be blind. It was a real eye opener, if you will pardon the pun. Everyday tasks nearly become impossible, especially for someone as clumsy as me when they can see perfectly. It emphasized just how important he felt about being open minded, at least on this topic. 

I think it is good to keep an open mind, for without it we would not have gotten the ipod, blue-ray, or lots of other cool little doo-dads our generation can not do without. Skeptics will never make the next big break through in technology, or create the next new fashion. The only ones who will ever progress in our society are the ones who keep an open mind.