That Line Between Truth and Theory
What were you doing when 9/11 occurred? This was the headliner I read in a most recent article.
I have personally lost and witnessed losses. To commemorate the historical and yet, tragic events of 9/11, I felt it was best to veer away from the discussions of it all on that day. That day brings sadness to many of us who would have to be reminded of what we have all wished never even took to existence.
I do recall what I was doing that day. I had just dropped off our oldest child to school and I was back home with our two daughters, peacefully following my daily housecleaning routine as I always did as a stay-at-home mom at that time. All of a sudden, one of my soccer mom friends called. There was haste in her voice, unlike her normal calm and relaxed one I was used to hearing. She was urging me to turn on the television. Something of the matter that New York was under attack.
It was on every main channel. First the north tower and before you could even fathom that the video footage you were watching was real, the focus turned to the south tower. You watched it imploding before your eyes- the smoke, the pockets of fire from the buildings, and eventually all that ball of dust covering the ground level as both buildings took turns plummeting downward, as if gravity had squeezed them down like a weighted accordion.
I don’t do well with tragedies. My defense mechanisms have taught me the survival skills of numbing myself from a reaction. I stood there in my family room, just watching the screen, saying nothing to my four and two-year old precious girls who were innocently going about their normal day of fun and play.
That south tower. I knew that one. I had been on that one. It was during junior high. My cousin and I were at the top-the observatory deck during Thanksgiving weekend before a parade we would be marching in. It just went down before my eyes.
Everyone deals differently with tragedy. I chose to just let it all sink in slowly, from the phone call I received from my soccer mom friend to my husband coming home and us watching the repeated news of all vantage points of the tragic events eventually broadcasted as foreign “attacks”, who were involved, and truly the more focal point, the innocent lives sacrificed from it all.
By the time I had our coffee date on Thursday with our close soccer mom friends and our younger children while our older ones were at school, conversations had strengthened on the apparent motive for the attacks. With no talks able to turn back time, I set all spoken and unspoken thoughts aside. It would be years before I felt to find some matter of fact information regarding the incident to make some collective sense of it all.
I am off and on fascinated with Popular Science and Mechanics. It is where I find information on what I always feel the majority population somehow never talk about. It has been some years since I have truly followed much. Perhaps because the last time I recall reading from it was also the one time I can remember writing to the editor. The letter was following my reading of “Debunking 9/11 Myths”.
No. I stand neither pro, anti, semi, or indifferent. Once again, I read as if I am listening to both my Papa and Mama debating in front of me. I read the contents of this informative piece with one intent- enlightenment. I am well aware of the opposition. I am well aware of what is termed as conspiracy theories. In fact, I recall this reading suggesting its drive was to merely address these notions.
I cannot recall the full contents of my letter as I wrote it and sent it while my memory was fresh from my reading. While I have not read both the most updated rebuttal in apparent response to the published piece, Debunking 9/11 Debunking, allow me to recall my personal take on what I had read.
Sure. It is plausible for any other country to grow so much animosity toward our country, The United States of America, to the degree where several of one’s loyal countrymen would train for over five years to eventually fly massive aircraft, take possession to study the blueprints of iconic U.S. buildings in able to know exactly where to crash into, bringing the buildings to their plummeting demise, sending whatever message was meant to be delivered (Who killed the messenger? comes to mind).
Could hate for another country ever be so real? Hate exists. Plotting for vengeance exists. Evil exists. Yin and Yang. Night and Day. Light and Dark. Good and Bad. Both extremes coexist. This is matter of fact. Earth is Pleasantville for those affording to live away from Nightmare on Elm Street. So to speak.
Back to what I had started to note. Our country is the most coveted. Sadly, we have failed to stay humble many times. Thus, argue back and forth that the entire attack was internal or external work, having read such books as the Billion Dollar Spy (I will most definitely discuss this reading in the nearest future!), I have arrived at some level of understanding that ANYONE can betray and NO ONE must be trusted. Hence, respectfully both Popular Mechanics or opposition have merit in suggesting the “truth”. We must not be so prideful to admit that REAL BIG FIGHTS are not spoken of nor are they predisposed to the public as to WHO is or will be in on the fight. As an educator and one who has personally squabbled as a kid, fights are surreptitiously planned out under the eyes of even those who swear they never miss a thing.
Here’s what I do believe has great weight of argumentative strength on the Popular Mechanics part- from the events of 9/11 to now, there can be no one to suggest that all those who have worked for the editorial team all have signed some non-disclosure form stating they would all agree to “stick to the truth” if truly there was anything more but the truth they knew of. There goes again, however, the downside to truth. Like a theory, it is the best explanation until something better comes along. This, unfortunately, is perhaps why there are the opposing “theories” of what really happened and why. The only problem to arise is, there has yet to be ONE TRUE THEORY. Those who know what really happened and why aren’t the ones talking (or maybe are just no longer with us).
Building Seven. 7. The lucky number. The holy number. A prime number that can only be divided by itself and 1. Of all buildings, why not choose Building #7 as one to withhold THOSE unspoken of documents? (If I was to follow some sinister plot to move all new SECRET documents, by the way, my best bet would be to find a Building #13 for laughs.)
From what I recall, steel does not melt, but at high, intense heat, it will stiffen and break. Collapsible? Probable and plausible. Was the fire internal. Ummm… If I am under confirmed and known attack, I would most definitely burn down THAT one building where truth to many secrets would be found. This building, I recall, was not close to the twin towers. Could it have spontaneously burned down? Fusillade from the other towers or remnants from the planes?
I have yet to read the most recent findings of Building 7, but here is where I will leave this one alone. I like and enjoy mysteries. I’m okay with thinking that my country I have grown and known to honor have pretty incredible people out there that know EXACTLY what to do if and when our country is under some form of attack. Burn any secrets to ashes? That’s a darn good friend. One smart one.
All flesh set aside, heroes and innocent lives were lost. Families and lives were torn apart to never be the same again. This was the cost for WHATEVER the reason.
If those angels could speak, what truth would they speak to us all?
