Never Forget

As you'd be aware (especially if you live in this country) the 10th anniversary of 9/11 is coming up. As loathed as I am to add to the overwhelming media attention this day is receiving, I feel compelled to voice an opinion. Being Australian, the events of 9/11 faded from my brain relatively quickly after the news reports died down. I've gone on living my life with its own special challenges and experiences with only the occasional memory provoked by film references. It was of great surprise and some level of contempt that I realised those events still feature highly in the collective consciousness of the USA.

'Highly' is an understatement. In the past two weeks my television and daily reading have been overrun with documentary specials, news coverage, tabloid exploitation, editorial musings and front page rants about everything and anything to do with 9/11. Yesterday I was tricked into watching "Remember Me", a film starring Robert Pattinson that I switched onto half way through. It wasn't until the last 5 minutes that I recalled the ending - Pattinson peering out the windows of his father's office on the 100-something floor of the WTC as they cut to a teacher writing that infamous date on the blackboard. None too subtle. But also oddly affecting. For all my stone-hearted forgetfulness, it took a Twilight vampire to drive it home and I got that gut-wrenching feeling of sympathy that the other media sources had failed to instill.

So Sunday is the day. The city will be locked down due to the presence of President Obama and countless other dignitaries. Downtown Manhattan will be a nightmare to navigate (sorry Timon!). Our friend Scott will be taking to the skies, home to Michigan, as flights on 9/11 are the cheapest you'll find. I will be home with the cat, trying in vain to avoid any and all coverage. Who am I kidding - morbid curiosity will most likely win the day. I'll probably also subscribe to paranoia and text Timon every 5 minutes just to make sure his store isn't exploded.