Let’s Be That Stuff

Where we were. What we saw. How we felt. Who we lost. None of these things will ever be forgotten, regardless of how much time passes, be it twenty, forty, or sixty more years, as is natural. But I do believe we’ve grown more cautious of our “never forget” slogans, as we should. Because if, by “never forget,” we’re implying retribution and payback, then we’ll never be satisfied. Our appetite for revenge is fickle and inconsistent. But if, by “never forget,” we’re implying our love for each other, love for first responders, love for New York, love for those civil American heroes, I’d argue that it’s time we stop trying to remember what it was like, being united, and actually start BEING united. Not that we can or will ever reach that goal, but that we ought to live it out more than we talk about it. Because our neighbors, our first responders, our fellow citizens in New York, everyone’s been through or been treated like hell at some point over these last twenty years. And perhaps, if not unity, we can cut each other a little more slack, a little more tolerance, a little more patience. Or at the very least, maybe we can stop making it harder on everyone around us to get through the day. Peace. Grace. Even greatness. All that stuff we think we’re good at. Let’s be that stuff.