10 years on. Still not ready. People say that experiencing or witnessing the fall of the Twin Tower on 11 September 2001 is something that one will never forget. Yes that's true. I still remember exactly where I was and what I was doing the moment the first plane crash was reported in the news. Then for the next half an hour, I sat and watched before rushing back to the college to really try to understand what's happening.
Everyone in the college was up. People who had TVs in their rooms were sharing their TVs. Some were in the TV room downstairs but everyone was up and every door was opened. The next day we still couldn't believe that it was a reality. As the reality sank in so was the sadness. We were not there but we were still wounded, hurt by the lack of humanity the what we called human race had exhibited.
Before we knew, it is 10 years from the incident. At that time I thought maybe the world would get better as we re-evaluate our humanity. Did the world get better? I can't really say so. I would not say that I am a pessimist but rather I would classify myself as a reserved optimist who always try to have an optimistic outlook without committing to being overly positive. For I believe, the less you expect the less you would be disappointed.
10 years from that day, I look back and look around - more people were killed in wars, politicians are still about themselves, people who lost their jobs were eventually the people who forked out their tax money to bail the riches out whom were the people who caused that situation, people said harsh things about karma when the tsunami hit Japan, idiots like Alan Jones still dominating the radio waves propagating their idiocy to the general public, some people still care about themselves more than the environment etc.
When I was a kid I was told that we study history because we want to learn from the past avoid making the same mistakes. That doesn't seemed to have helped, at least according to what I observed throughout all these years. In the last few weeks, when I saw all the promos about the 9/11 specials, it really annoys me because thousands of innocent people died on that day and the human race had not improved. Our phone got smarter, our TV got smarter, everything we created got smarter but not our humanity, which is supposed to be the essence that distinguish us from the rest of the living organisms on this planet.
Everyday when I saw idiots like Alan Jones and Tony Abott who are all about themselves saying stupid things and breaking promises while condemning other people committing the same crime, my blood boils and I wonder how did we end up with a world like this? Not only in Australia that politicians continue to increase their own pay while cutting spending on essentials for the society, that's the same thing in the States when the Republicans just want to tear down bills so that the have an excuse to accuse Obama for not being able to fulfill his promises. What kind of mad world are we living in? Did 9/11 actually make us more selfish than opening our eyes to the world?
Maybe being a reserved optimist I am still not being built for this world. Or maybe if I was not trained to think critically when I was a kid, I would be a happier person. But at the end of the day where can humanity go? For me 10 years on, the world hadn't become a better place and it seems to me that the human race will never improve. Is this God's will? If so does that mean we will be seeing the arrival of the Four Horsemen soon? Maybe it's time for me to go and watch Supernatural Season 5 instead.
9/11 is a wound that will never heal. Or maybe I am still getting too sentimental on this day. Or maybe I should just go to sleep and forget about the human race.
