Today. One year.

It's hard to believe that so much time has passed, so quickly.

I'm not going to write a lot, because there's been enough of that. Writing. Commentary. Views. Opinions.

I haven't been back to New York City this past year. The city was my home for many years, I've visited often since then, and I have friends and family there. I want to go back, and soon, and I know it'll be painful. But I have to see.

Still, this day, September 11th, is just a day. Making it anything more -- or less -- than that just doesn't seem right. It's important to remember, and it's important to mark the occasion, but it's dangerous to linger too long in the pain and the anger. For those who lost friends and loved ones, it must be possible to mourn. But to use this day as a rallying call for war, that isn't right. The war might be justified, but it shouldn't be celebrated.

I'm not saying that this has happened -- in America or elsewhere. From what little I've seen of today's events, it all appears respectful and muted, as it should be. And every year, as this day arrives and passes, I hope the pain will be less, and that, eventually, there will be no reason to stand up and use this day to muster support for a campaign against terrorists and their actions.

Eventually, I hope, there will be no reason to do that.

Even so, there's been an unreality to this day that's shared by many of the people I'm around; a sense of trepidation, perhaps, a sense of sadness, and a sense of melancholy for what was lost -- but also a sense of hope. One year ago, many shared the fear that things would only spiral downwards, that the world was on the brink of self-destruction, that world-wide war was imminent, and that liberty was under mortal threat. Now, that seems very unlikely. Terrorists have not gained the upper hand. Democracy prevails. We live. The world is here, and it's pretty much the same as it ever was, except, perhaps, a little wiser to the fact that we need to be vigilant, and never allow those who seek destruction to destroy our hope in the future.  ¶ 23:54