Twenty-Four Years On

How long before tragedy fades into obscurity? Does anyone still remember the Maine? Does 7 December continue to live on as a day of infamy? How many young adults weren't even born 24 years ago, when the memories of the day's events were seared into the minds of so many of us New Yorkers? With each passing year we face more adversity, and sometimes more healing. Does the current ongoing systematic dismantling of our democracy trump our ability to reflect on the deaths that happened a quarter century ago, especially considering there have been 2000+ mass shootings since then resulting in far greater loss of life? I have no answers, just assurance that, as a New Yorker working in a Manhattan financial services firm, the day still hits closer to home than I'd like, particularly with the mass shooting in my office's HQ a few short weeks ago. Memory is always a funny thing (my personal memory doubly so), so at this point many of us who were there rely more on our gut reactions than actual remembrances. I just wish people would stop enjoining me to never forget, as it's fairly impossible for me to do so.