Are you still mad as hell?

When I was running tonight, I was thinking a lot about Sept. 11, 2001. Like I often do when I run, I was writing a post in my head, coming up with various thoughts about 9/11, what it means, etc., etc. Then toward the end of my run, I had two very interesting back-to-back songs: Dave Matthews Band's "Everyday" and Garth Brooks' "The River." While I would probably usually slow down for songs like that, I sped up. I was inspired by the words ... and I became fired up like I did seven years ago today.

For those who know me well, know that Sept. 10/11, 2001, was also the beginning of the relationship with my wife. It's a story too long to tell and it's not too many people's business, but in the long run it was a life-changing night. But so was that next morning. At the time I was a copy editor working evenings at a newspaper, so needless to say, I was up late in the morning of Sept. 11 on my first "date." (I guess that word is up for debate.) Around 10 a.m. Sept. 11, a friend of mine called and woke me up and told me the horrible news.

As a copy editor, that night and over the next few days, I saw pictures that never made it in the newspapers or on TV. Looking back, I'm not sure how I made it through all that, other than the fact I was in the beginning of a new relationship, I was only 23 and only nine months into my career.

While you try to make your choice this fall of who will bring the most "change" to Washington, D.C., I will never forget the change that happened seven years ago today.

So, fast forward to my run today. Those songs reminded me that we can never forget what that day did to us as a country and as a world-wide community. I remembered how mad I felt at times that first week and month after 9/11. But I also remembered how mad I still am ... and how mad I am at other things that have or have not happened since then.

I am not going to get into too much, but I hope that 9/11 continues to always be a day of remembrance. A running blog isn't really a place to talk about all this, but if it wasn't for running I would not have reflected as much as I should have.