Lean On Me

As much as I would like to tell you there is a solution to decreasing the overwhelming feel of emotions when talking about tragic events such as 9/11, I cannot. There is no delicate way to re-account the misfortune that family members, friends, civilians, and heroes faced in 2001. Even in more recent years when memorials are held, there are still streams of tears that fall from the eyes of millions. Due to the fact that I was five, I could not tell you what had happened, but I could tell you that everyone was petrified and distraught. Being an emotional person myself, I find it easy to talk about topics that deserve a cushion to the ears of my audience.

Hypothetically, let us say that I will be speaking at the next memorial because I had a family member that died due to these terrorist attacks. My writing process begins with brainstorming. I am going to think of sweet, kind, and supporting words. I would never want to include any graphics details or depressing statistics because it will not appeal to the audience auditory senses. I would speak on the thriving moments of those that have passed, the legacy they left behind, and how they helped pave the future. However, you must indulge those that are still grieving and mention the huge impact it has left on society. Due to the terrorist attacks, many feared getting on planes or being in the same vicinity as someone from the Middle East, no matter what region they were from. Lastly we'll talk about how we have attempted to mend the immense hole in our hearts and one day we will see each other again. Due to the fact that not everyone is Christian, it is usually wise not to make God references, just broad ones that allude to there being an afterlife or a crawlspace between parallels of time.

In my eyes, this would be a way to effectively, yet sensitively, engage with an audience from New York & Iraq. There is more emphasis on the Americans, but that is because of the huge sense of remorse and disgust that I have for this incident. Many share my feelings, feel the complete opposite, or have different emotions all around. Though our feelings toward this date may differ, we all have the same questions. Why would someone do something like this? The question that will forever be asked an is still being asked about this and other tragic events is: How could something like this happen in our country?