This week marks the anniversary of an event in our country that I think we all would be glad to never have experienced. The atrocities of September 11, 2001 have made it a standout day in America’s collective memory and despite the turning of the calendar now 23 years later, it continues to impact many lives and remains one of our darkest experiences.
But if you are old enough to recall those days, you likely remember that nearly instantly, citizens across the nation set aside their differences and came together, united in grief and determined to stand up to terrorism around the world. For awhile we focused on the common good rather than ourselves.
Every now and then, I resurrect Alan Jackson’s song “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning” just to remind myself of what those days felt like, because unfortunately, we tend to forget. Even with the magnitude of the destruction and loss of life that day, little by little, we slid back into the spin of daily life—not because we didn’t care or want to but because time doesn’t stand still.
Just over a month ago, our own community went through an event that brought out the same dynamic. When a fire raged across the hills and valleys northeast of Guernsey, people pitched in to help in countless ways to support firefighters and first responders and assist people and animals displaced. We all put on the same jersey to fight the enemy and we didn’t let our differences interfere with the mission. And even though we did lose one home, there was plenty to be grateful for and we are.

I can’t explain human nature—my skills are in journalism, not psychology, but I wish I could understand why we can’t seem to remember just how good things really are most of the time.
Social media is awash with negative stories and misinformation written faster than anyone can read. We have an entire political party telling us everything in our lives is horrible—so much in fact that at least half the country believes it. Too many have been somehow convinced that letting one person dictate the parameters of what’s good, what’s fair, what’s true and who must adhere to the laws is a great idea.
I see people engage in ridiculous and more importantly, ineffective verbal battles as if having the last word makes you the “winner”. There seems to be no end as to what people will find to complain about and how many will jump in to second the motion, even when they’re not directly involved.
There’s nothing wrong to have a difference of opinion, and I’m certainly not promoting the idea that everything is perfect and we should never question or complain. But I do think it’s very important that we choose our battles carefully, because negativity can suck the good out of ideas before they ever have a chance to be proven out if we allow it to be the prevalent theme.
Successful, happy people don’t get that way because of good genetics, familial wealth or good looks. It’s sort of like landing a 737—it’s all in the approach. If you deal with issues from a negative standpoint, your outcome is likely not going to be what you really want.
My mom, who lived an extraordinarily simple but meaningful life, always told me, “You can only think one thought at a time so it may as well be positive.”
I try to keep that in mind most days because over time, she’s proven to be right. It’s also the way we tried to raise our own children because quite simply, we reap what we sow. Kids see everything we do, and hear everything we say—and they become us.
We hear people say all the time how much they wish we weren’t so divided. So on this anniversary of 9-11, I hope you will be inspired to remember how much better it feels to pull together than apart.