One Score. Two Decades. Twenty Years.

Abe Lincoln would have said, "one score ago..."

Someone else might say, "two decades ago..."

I'd start with, "twenty years ago..."

And, the students in my college classes would say, "Huh?" because...

...they were not alive when the Twin Towers fell on 9/11.

I was creating an assignment for my college classes in regards to the 20th "anniversary" of 9/11 and began to wonder why I was doing that because 9/11 honestly means nothing to these students. 

Not good or bad. Just a fact. 

It honestly means nothing. 

It's a history lesson.

It's a bunch of stories or maybe a few news videos.
It's what old people talk about. 

It's not emotional. 

It's factual. 

Unless someone in the student's direct family was killed or harmed or sent to war... 

there is no real life reference.

I found myself wondering if the assignment would be anything more than students regurgitating Wikipedia. The students might listen to our recollections, but beyond that... it's a shoulder shrug.  In today's weird day and age, they get to decide IF they believe the stories, WHAT stories to believe and which 30-second tik-tok video best captures the event.

I decided that would hurt my heart. The assignment I will give my college students is to watch a three minute video, couched within the current topic on the syllabus. 

In all fairness, lamenting about this is no different than my elders shaking their heads at me because I can't fully comprehend WWII, the Holocaust or even JFK's assassination. I was alive for the assassination but I have no memory of it, seeing as I was a baby. Much respect to you, elders. Good news is that I believe all those things happened and that I have listened to the stories told. I have much respect. 

For all you "old people" reading this blog, I hope we never forget that day. I highly doubt we will. I hope we never lose the feeling of shock or horror or fear or pain or or disbelief or whatever we were feeling when hearing the news, watching the television, calling friends and family. I hope we hold the day sacred for those who lost their lives. I hope we always remember those who lost family and friends. 

Perhaps I am delusional thinking we can come together as a nation for this 20th "anniversary," like we did the weeks after that terrible event. There was no us and them. There was only unity. Maybe in honor of this 20th year, we can stop arguing and hating and finger-pointing, even if it's just for a week. Hell, even for a day. Let's fly a flag on our house or our car. Let's just be one nation.

You know, maybe I will post something on Instagram or TikTok for my students, those who weren't alive when this transpired. And I'll post something on Facebook for us, because that's where the old people hang out. 

One Score.

Two Decades.
Twenty Years.

Something to remember.

Something to never forget.