I was surprised last year when Al mentioned that he didn’t like all the 9/11 memorials that pop up every year. Then he explained that he does not think it is a day to celebrate and thinks it will become like Memorial Day, a day to get off work and drink a lot of beer. To understand where he’s coming from on this, we must go back. It’s a short story…
Al had a business on the Pacific Coast Options Exchange. Cantor Fitzgerald was one of his clients and therefore there was a direct line between the CF brokers and Al, they spoke many times daily. It came across the Reuter’s that an airliner had hit the World Trade Center.
Al immediately speed dialed his friends and asked “What’s going on?” The answer:
“We’re fucking DYING…”
The phone slammed down and within minutes the tower had collapsed. I know my Al – those last words of a friend and colleague, they will haunt him forever. I understand why he needs no reminder.
Favorite Philosopher's Blog 
I understand Al. I cannot watch movies about the holocaust. I had a father in law that couldn’t speak English yet would tell me stories of being in Dachau over and over again in Russian, German, Hebrew, even Yiddish. Even though I couldn’t understand the words, the horror on his face and in his actions left no doubt as to what had happened. Those that have been touched by the horrors of life, no matter how distant, truly feel it differently then others. Still, It cannot be forgotten. People cannot say, “that would never happen.” It did, it is and it probably will again.
Yes. I know that Al has tucked it away so that he doesn’t have to keep revisiting the pain. My pain is that no matter how strong our marriage, no matter how intimately we know each other, it would be impossible if not insulting for me to say “I understand.” Watching your father-in-law be in such pain is something you can neither forget nor explain to someone who did not see his face. Tomorrow we move on again, it is hard to believe it has been 12 years and it still hurts to remember what happened. Nor should be forget, if for no other reason than it reminds us to love, always love, especially those closest to us who are often the easiest to hurt. Thanks for sharing this, Denese!