Hard to believe it was eight years ago now. I was just two months into my tenure at Ask.com, where I still work. Driving down 128, going south, and being stumped by the news that came on the radio. I was also supposed to be on an American Airlines flight from Boston to San Francisco on September 12th, 2001 – the very next day. For us, our generation, it’s our Pearl Harbor, I guess. Each year on the anniversary I try to keep the noise minimal – I don’t need any more news accounts or video of it. I watched it once – that day – and I try to avoid watching any more. I won’t (can’t?) see the movies and miniseries. Anyway, each year I’ll read an article or two that interests me and that’s it. Mostly I just want to be with my family.

This year, one of the articles I read was this one. One story in a sea of thousands. It’s still painful…..and I didn’t even know anyone who was killed. Pause.