A week after last week’s tragedies, most of us don’t quite know how to act. We feel the degree of the tragedy requires us to maintain a certain level of solemnness. But then again, we sometimes feel bad when we decide to have fun or simply to return to our normal routine. This might include heading to parties, going to bars and carrying on as if things were normal. But terrorist attacks that destroy the World Trade Center are not normal. So we don’t know when it is appropriate to act like things are “normal” again.
As basic an observation as it might seem, we need to remind ourselves that people handle things differently. People who partied last Thursday night were not bad people; they simply needed a break, and probably a well-deserved one.
Clearly, things are different. Major League Baseball cancelled games for a week and the National Football League canceled its Sunday schedule for the first time in history. To some, that simple act drove home how serious of an event actually occurred. The cancellation was necessary, but it is time to move on. The markets are open, most airports are receiving flights and we must slowly begin to carry on.
Granted, moving on does not mean we should be insensitive. The Onion, the satirical newspaper that usually parodies current political events, has decided not to publish any new material this week. This is a good move; cracking jokes is wrong and shows a tremendous lack of respect for the gravity of the event.
But if you need a break, don’t feel guilty. You shouldn’t feel compelled to watch news updates and sit through every interview with every terrorist expert. Changing the channel doesn’t mean you have forgotten; it simply shows you’re moving on.
