This from Reader I_AM at Done With Mirrors struck a chord with me:

The very least of that is that, as trivial an observation as it may be to share, 9/11/2001 was the very first time I sat my kid in front of the TV with a video (and then another, and then anotheranotheranotheranotheranother) with the express purpose of it babysitting him. Something I'd said I would not do and had never done before. So I could watch the coverage. On multiple other TV's, on radio, via internet, all on at the same time, demanding my attention, demanding my attention away from him, from the very first moment I saw the very earliest of coverage, including stuff glimpsed that later deliberately wasn't broadcast, because of when I was up and how many news outlets, at the time, that were already up and running to greet me when I arose, or that I'd start up automatically upon rising, at the time, and monitor all at the same time.

On the day of I had a similar child-rearing moment. Knowing it was important, should I let my four year old son watch any part of it? Or should I shield him? I didn't want him to have to grow up saying, in effect, "Yeah, I was alive during Pearl Harbor but my stupid parents wouldn't let me watch." In the end we went all laiisez-faire, allowing him to pass through, see whaetever he saw and move on back to his computer or the TV in the other room.

As far as I can tell he formed no memory of that day. Kids: they really should come with detailed instructions.

But I can also sympathize heartily with this, from Reader I_AM's blog partner, Callimachus:

I've rarely felt a higher flame of impotent rage, and choking sorrow, in my chest than I did that day. Why do I want to recapture that, via the magic of network coverage?

I don't want to relive it. I lived it once. That was enough. I suspect that will be enough for the rest of my natural life.

I watched none of the coverage yesterday. Didn't watch the ABC made-up history miniseries. Never went to see United 93 or Stone's World Trade Center.

A whole day of it, wall-to-wall on the news networks? Made me long for another creepy pedophile they could obsess over.

This entry was posted by Michael Reynolds, on Tuesday, September 12, 2006. You can leave your response.