When I woke up this morning of September 11, 2007, I did something pretty unusual for me. I reached for the remote and turned on the TV. Maybe my sleepy subconscious knew the date is 9/11 once again. And there was the vast gray ocean of smoke heaving up from Manhattan and drifting out over the sea. My mind reeled for a few seconds – Oh what fresh hell is this – until I understood that I was seeing history. Six years now, and still an appalling anniversary.

I’m sure I needn’t add much clink to the claxon of reminiscence being proffered for the occasion. But I will say that I remember. Somehow seeing it on waking, as I did when it was broadcast live, made it feel freshly horrific. Just for a moment, to be honest. Then I turned it off. It was a great day for a morning walk.

I’ve seen that terrible day, 2190 days ago, played out too many times for watching the videos again to make any sense, much less make a difference in what I think or how I feel.

I am mindful of the national grief; I feel it too. And I’m cognizant of the anger that lingers, so often reflected in the emails I’ve received, many with images like screaming eagles superimposed on the burning towers. Old Glory is coming after you, get ready. And haven’t our leaders done a splendid job of securing our vengeance, so we can feel better?

I suggest we take two lessons from the day:

First, that life is simple and fragile. None of us has the promise of a tomorrow.

Second, that the Powers that Be used the shock of 9/11 against us. They used our national grief and stunned, shared anger as an opportunity to push a nefarious social, political, economic and military agenda to the manifest detriment of America and the world.

We may never get closure, much less revenge, for what the infinite stupidity of mankind wrought six years ago, but maybe we can gain some wisdom. Our only hope is, as Ghandi said, to learn to be the change we wish to see in the world.