My Gen Z Son Doesn’t Understand Why 9/11 Is a Big Deal

Here Is What I Told Him

I have not written about 9/11, ever. It’s been over 20 years but the day each year haunts millions of Americans.

I grew up a few hours from the city. I took many field trips to NYC and had been in the World Trade Center towers on a field trip in 5th grade.

NYC was the place to be to aspire to live and work. When I went to college, it was even closer to NYC. My friends and I would take the Metro North train to the city and hang out in Manhattan.

It was the city that never slept. And the city where nothing really bad would ever happen. Or so we thought.

I graduated in the late 1990’s and moved out to Ohio. I missed the Northeast but still visited at least once a year.

Then 9/11 happened. While not as dramatic as others stories, when you’ve spent any time in the city, it leaves an impression.

As anyone remembers, it was a normal September morning. I was on the phone with my dentist’s office, trying to schedule an appt. The receptionist told me a plane had hit the Twin Towers.

The first thing I thought was, oh a small plane. That’s not great and not a good thing but it didn’t seem like a big deal.