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Notes -
I was not yet 10 years old. I vaguely remember watching television footage of it. I remember my mother asking my father where they would attack next, and he said "here, probably," in that way men do. It wasn't a crazy idea, though, young Shrike lived not far from a sensitive location, and steps were taken to defend the airspace.
I can't talk about some of the more meaningful ways 9/11 impacted me without something close to doxxing. Most prosaically, I seem to recall that we had been traveling before and got rather lucky not being stuck elsewhere after the flight ban came down. Somewhat less prosaically, one of my parent's careers was substantially derailed. I also saw a bit about how poorly the US government treats those with whom they entrust the most and grew up amid a string of what I viewed as bad domestic and foreign policy decisions.
Looking back, it seems likely that 9/11 had a direct or indirect influence on a lot of my life. Maybe I would have considered different careers if it hadn't happened. Certainly it seems likely that my political concerns would be, if not opposed, at least different. One wonders if the Motte would talk about the same things, or even exist.
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