In Wednesday’s reading discussion, we focused on how the same historical event differently shapes the experiences of individuals who occupy different and unequal statuses within a cohort. Elizabeth asked the class to think of major historical events within our life span that may shape our experiences in the long-term, and the first event that came to mind was the September 11 attacks.
Since the impact of a historical event on our lives is also dependent on how old we were when the event occurred, I would agree that the September 11 attack had a minimal impact on my life, since I was only 4 years old at the time of the incident. Now that I reflect back, I realize I do not have any substantial memories of the 9-11 incident. The only memory that does come to mind is seeing my mother stop her morning routine to watch the news, and my older sisters rushing to get ready for school. I somehow knew something important was being shown in the news, since my mother never behaved this way. However, I did not discover what truly happened on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 until I was much older, since my mother did not want to worry me at the time.
By now, I have heard many people (including my own family) speak about the September 11 attacks, and each time I obtain greater insight about this tragedy. Nonetheless, my memory of the 9-11 incident remains the same, since it relates to my experience on that day. Through this class exercise/ discussion question, I was able to see how although people of all ages may live through the same historical events, the meanings they attach to these particular events and the impact these events have on their lives varies, based on their age at the time of the event.
Since the impact of a historical event on our lives is also dependent on how old we were when the event occurred, I would agree that the September 11 attack had a minimal impact on my life, since I was only 4 years old at the time of the incident. Now that I reflect back, I realize I do not have any substantial memories of the 9-11 incident. The only memory that does come to mind is seeing my mother stop her morning routine to watch the news, and my older sisters rushing to get ready for school. I somehow knew something important was being shown in the news, since my mother never behaved this way. However, I did not discover what truly happened on Tuesday, September 11, 2001 until I was much older, since my mother did not want to worry me at the time.
By now, I have heard many people (including my own family) speak about the September 11 attacks, and each time I obtain greater insight about this tragedy. Nonetheless, my memory of the 9-11 incident remains the same, since it relates to my experience on that day. Through this class exercise/ discussion question, I was able to see how although people of all ages may live through the same historical events, the meanings they attach to these particular events and the impact these events have on their lives varies, based on their age at the time of the event.