8 things to post on 9/11 that aren’t burning towers.
The anniversary is Wednesday. We say “never forget” around this time every year and every year I hate that phrase. I can’t speak for everybody, but I was there and I don’t need to be reminded. I’ve also talked with first responders and other recovery workers over the years who honestly wish they could forget, just for a little while, which I completely understand. I can’t fault them for it when I feel the same way sometimes.
The anniversary is a challenging day for me anyway, so scrolling through my news feed every year and seeing the same devastation memes, shock-and-awe conspiracy theories, and the same vitriolic xenophobia, or catching burning tower footage on a nearby tv just makes the day that much harder.
For all its grief and horror, September 11 has also been a day of community for me. It’s the day to reach out to loved ones and colleagues to check in on each other and remember how short and unpredictable life can be, just like I did from my flip phone in 2001. So while I’ve been given the advice to stay off of social media to avoid being triggered by repeated images of burning towers, I also need to stay connected. Algorithms push “popular” posts to the top of the feed no matter how old they are, so I might see those towers burning for several days afterwards. Staying off the internet isn’t really a good option.
