Some thoughts on Calvin and Hobbes and 9/11For those of us who are adults, reading Calvin and Hobbes reminds each of us of our childhood, in one way or another. Many of us cherish our memories of a time of innocence that included seemingly endless summers filled with freedom. And we miss those days now, because we all had to become adults and take on so many responsibilities. We can never go back. Nevertheless, we do still have the freedom to decide to what extent we will pursue the joys of childhood in our adult lives, through curiosity, imagination, spontaneity, creativity, simplicity, freedom of expression, genuine relationships with others, the joy of learning, laughter, and so on.For those of us who were adults in the United States on September 11th, 2001, today reminds each of us of exactly where we were and how we were feeling when we first learned of that terrible tragedy. But it also reminds us of what our lives were like before that fateful day. We lost some of our adult innocence and freedom on that day, and we can never fully undo the changes that have taken place as a result. Nevertheless, we still have the freedom to decide to what extent we will allow terrorism to cause us to be controlled by fear – whether it be the fear of another attack, the fear of people who are different from us, or other irrational fears that are sometimes exploited by those who are in power.Calvin and Hobbes is set in the pre-September-11th world, from 1985 to 1995. Exposing ourselves to a little bit of that world each day, as we enjoy following the adventures of Calvin and his best friend, can be a good reminder that we should think about our pre-9/11 lives, and strive to incorporate the positive aspects into our post-9/11 lives as much as possible.Soon it will be 8:46 AM Eastern time, exactly ten years after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Shortly after that, hundreds of firefighters and police were rescuing victims and directing people out of the buildings. Please take time to observe at least a moment of silence today. Remember all whose lives were lost, as well as their families and friends whose lives were forever changed. Remember the great heroes of that day: those who survived, and those who did not. Also remember the great sacrifices made by so many people after that day, especially our service men and women and their families.Finally, here are some words of Charles Schulz that are as relevant today as they were 53 years ago:Peanuts (1958)
Some thoughts on Calvin and Hobbes and 9/11For those of us who are adults, reading Calvin and Hobbes reminds each of us of our childhood, in one way or another. Many of us cherish our memories of a time of innocence that included seemingly endless summers filled with freedom. And we miss those days now, because we all had to become adults and take on so many responsibilities. We can never go back. Nevertheless, we do still have the freedom to decide to what extent we will pursue the joys of childhood in our adult lives, through curiosity, imagination, spontaneity, creativity, simplicity, freedom of expression, genuine relationships with others, the joy of learning, laughter, and so on.For those of us who were adults in the United States on September 11th, 2001, today reminds each of us of exactly where we were and how we were feeling when we first learned of that terrible tragedy. But it also reminds us of what our lives were like before that fateful day. We lost some of our adult innocence and freedom on that day, and we can never fully undo the changes that have taken place as a result. Nevertheless, we still have the freedom to decide to what extent we will allow terrorism to cause us to be controlled by fear – whether it be the fear of another attack, the fear of people who are different from us, or other irrational fears that are sometimes exploited by those who are in power.Calvin and Hobbes is set in the pre-September-11th world, from 1985 to 1995. Exposing ourselves to a little bit of that world each day, as we enjoy following the adventures of Calvin and his best friend, can be a good reminder that we should think about our pre-9/11 lives, and strive to incorporate the positive aspects into our post-9/11 lives as much as possible.Soon it will be 8:46 AM Eastern time, exactly ten years after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. Shortly after that, hundreds of firefighters and police were rescuing victims and directing people out of the buildings. Please take time to observe at least a moment of silence today. Remember all whose lives were lost, as well as their families and friends whose lives were forever changed. Remember the great heroes of that day: those who survived, and those who did not. Also remember the great sacrifices made by so many people after that day, especially our service men and women and their families.Finally, here are some words of Charles Schulz that are as relevant today as they were 53 years ago:Peanuts (1958)