"The trick is, to live your days As if each one may be your last (for they go fast, and young men lose their lives in strange and unimaginable ways)"ÃÂ (Quoted from "Advice to My Son"ÃÂ by Peter Meinke [1932]) When the World Trade Center fell, I knew everything would be different. I knew that I myself had already changed, and would never be the same again.
All the past values, all of the previous beliefs, everything had now been altered. I used to want to do things right away, but I was also always willing to let it pass for the next day or next week. I would procrastinate everything, and wouldn't mind waiting until a later date. But now, instead of saying "Well, maybe we will do that next week,"ÃÂ it became "Let's go do it."ÃÂ Everything turned from a "ÃÂwait-for-tomorrow' attitude to a "ÃÂlive for today' outlook on life.
September 11, 2001 attacks in New York City: View ...
English: United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into t...
English: World Trade Center, New York, aerial view...There was such a tremendous loss of life due to this tragic event. So many families lost loved ones and so many people lost life-long friends. All these people, after the event took place, had thoughts running through their heads, all of these regrets. It would haunt me a great deal to have regrets like not seeing these lost loved-ones as often as they could or not treasuring them as much as they should have. I do not wish to have things like that hanging over my head. Unwanted "would-have's, could-have's, or should-have's"ÃÂ should not plague me. I just want to die knowing that I did everything that I wanted to, or at least everything within my power to make my most valiant efforts.
These are regrets that I never wish to have. I don't want to be one of those people that loses someone and then spends the next two years crying about him or her. I mean I am by no means a heartless person. There is no doubt that I will mourn the death of someone close to me. What I mean by this is that I simply want to make the time to be with all of my loved ones as often as possible. In doing this, if I haplessly lose someone, then instead of crying during my period of mourning, I can spend all of that time smiling and laughing when thinking of all the good and happy moments that we spent together when they were there to be with.
To make this new outlook on life an actual action of life, I go out with whomever asks me, and we do not sit around waiting for something to happen. Now we go out and we look for something to do. And if by some chance we see people that we are acquainted with, we have them join us. If more than one people ask me, I make plans to hang out with both, and more. I also try to include my cousins with my friends and do sort of a group bowling, or we all go see a movie, or we go on a road trip. Now, if we want to do something, it is with as many people as possible, and we do exactly what we want to do because tomorrow, there is always that chance that either we wont be around, or where we want to be will no longer be accessible.
Many things have changed, and many more things will change in the future. The important thing is not to dwell on what might happen, or what might change in the future, but make the best of what we have right now and today. Be with and love those close to you. Go out and do that which you want to do, don't put it off. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy every moment. Petty problems, fights, and mishaps are just that, petty.
Image from: http://www.september11news.com/WTC_199...
English: World Trade Center and surrounding buildi...
World Trade Center during construction