Week Twenty-Three: Remembering 9/11

As I write this, it is already September 11th on the East Coast of the United States; the sixth anniversary of 9/11. This was an event that affected every American, whether we knew someone who was killed that day, or not. Our world shattered, and we felt vulnerable. We have all experienced tragedy on a national level at more than one point in our lives: JFK's assassination, for example, or the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster. Most of us have never recorded the events as we remembered them on those days, nor the feelings that accompanied them. There aren't many of the generation left that remembers Pearl Harbor, and even less who can recall the day World War I ended. The memories of those Big Events in our nation's history are being lost to time.

For your journal prompt to help you remember September 11, 2001, I invite you to go here to read and listen to the lyrics of Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?"

*How did you hear about the attacks of 9/11?

*What did you do that day? Did you go to work or school, or stay home?

*What were your feelings?

*How has what happened that day changed your life in some way?

*What are your hopes for the future, in connection with this tragedy?

I have posted my journal response here.

Week Twenty-One: Your National Holiday

This week marks national holidays for two major countries: Canada, which celebrates Canada Day normally on July 1st, but officially on the 2nd, since the First falls on a Sunday; and the United States, which celebrates Independence Day on July 4th. Here are some prompts for letting your descendants know how you celebrate your national holiday:

*What was tradition in your childhood family for celebrating your national holiday? Did you dress in a national costume or in your national colors? Did you display your national flag? Was your national holiday a one-day celebration, or longer?

*Were there any programs on the radio or television that you listened to/watched as part of this observance? Was there a church or other religious ceremony you attended?

*Were there neighborhood or community events in which you participated? Did they include games, dancing, feasting, fireworks, or music? Was the national anthem sung or played? Was it a festive or somber affair? Were there celebrities, local government officials, or national leaders in attendance?

*Did you have an indoor feast, or a picnic or barbecue outside? What foods were traditionally served?

*How did your childhood celebrations differ from the way you celebrate as an adult? How are they the same?

*What does it mean to you to be a/an ____________ (insert your nationality here)? Do you consider yourself patriotic? What freedoms or privileges do you most cherish? If you are an immigrant, you may wish to write about your immigration experience (when, where and why), how life in your new country compares with your old, and your feelings about your motherland and adopted country.

Here are some great websites to educate you further, or to use to enhance your online journal:

• Fourth of July Celebrations Database
• Celebrate Canada!
• A list of National Holidays
  
• To find more online information about your specific national holiday, enter the name of your country and "national holiday" in quotation marks at Google.
• 3D Flags has animated national flags you can download and use on your website or blog. They have three sizes and three background colors to choose from. They also have U.S. state flags.
• If your national colors are red and white, or red, white, and blue, there are some backgrounds and graphics on my pixel graphics site here, which you can use free-of-charge.
• Sites to download free midi (audio) files of your national anthem can be found here and here, while lyrics can be found here.

My journal about my childhood celebrations can be found here.