Should we refocus?

I am writing this on Sept. 11 as TV specials highlight this (in)famous day. You, of course, are reading this a few days later.

Never in my lifetime has a date of the year been so significant. Yes, we all know Oct. 31 is Halloween and that Dec. 25 is Christmas, but to have such a vivid memory simply saying the month and the number brings up lots of memories.

I am not talking about the conspiracy theories or what the government knew and blah, blah, blah. I mean that we reflect on the thousands of people whose lives were affected. Whether they died in the attacks or were a victim because they lost a friend or family member.

And I will fully admit to getting goose bumps and tearing up when hearing the voice mails left by the people moments away from dying or seeing the planes crash into the World Trade Center. It does make me question why I continue to watch it.

I was in no way affected by the attacks – meaning I don’t know anybody who died, nor do I know anyone who lost a loved one. While I recognize that the date has significant meaning to many people, I do wonder if reliving the day with all the TV specials really helps people get closure and move on or if it is just a constant sad reminder.

Don’t get me wrong, I am in no way downplaying the seriousness of what happened, nor am I suggesting people should limit the amount of time they grieve. I am also not suggesting that we gloss over Sept. 11 on the calendar and treat it as a normal day.

My question is: do we need to see the coverage and hear the stories over and over again? Is the constant media attention helping people or just rehashing the pain?

Maybe it’s just me but if I was on the receiving end of one of those voice mails I don’t know that I would want to turn on the news and hear the clip over and over again. After all, I’ve probably listened to it hundreds of times in the past 12 years.

It does seem like the day of unfolding terror was just yesterday but maybe less coverage and recap of it will make it a distant memory so people can move on and end their heartache.