the memories hurt, but i am not a coward

9 years ago, the world changed. our world anyway. the skyline would never be the same as we, here on the north east coast, know it.
I was not here when the attack happened. I was in the happiest place on earth, waking up with a cup of coffee watching the news.
a few days later, we drove home from florida in a surreal silence, with a nod to others on the same route and a quite sky.
9 years later, our lives have gone on to our daily ins and outs that we muddle through. this year is a little different. there is a lot of blah blah blah on the news about a pastor that wants to burn the Qu'ran, and a mosque that is going to be build in the same space that is considered sacred to many people, especially those affected by a day that we will never forget.
I want to be angry, and scream and yell and be mad and defend the rights of our land and our people. but I will not do that.

It will make me a coward.

I take the rather vocal stance of understanding and wanting to rise above. I do not think the book-burning pastor is right. If he were to carry out his act of anger, he would be no better then the people that planned and carried out the attacks. I also kind of like the idea of a mosque being built in a place that is sacred. we cannot blame an entire religion for those acts of the extremists, when extremists exist in all cultures and faiths.
the whole idea of the hate being thrown around lately is just ignorant. plain and simple. no one ever takes the time to understand something in a whole and only want to focus on the hate.

hate will eat you alive. it will spoil your insides and rot you from within. and if you let hate win, you are in line with the hate the caused the attacks in the first place.
don't misunderstand, i am saddened and altered by the attacks that took place. but i will not let it consume me and i will not let hate take over my life.
i am also very aware that perhaps i feel this way because i dont know anyone that lost their life that day. the one person i know that worked there, got out. he is still here, living his life.