It was five years ago today that I was awaken by news of the most startling, surreal event that has taken place in my life. I woke up to the call of my mother, telling my brother and I to get up, that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York. My brother and I went downstairs quickly, still half-asleep, though we were quickly shocked awake by the sight of a gaping hole in the side of 1 World trade Center on TV. I stood in front of the television stunned, my jaw hanging open, dangling somewhere around my ankles. Surely this had to be an accident.

Moments later, I notice a plane entering into view on the screen. Intially, I thought it was a military jet patrolling the skies aorund the World Trade Center, except that it never emerged from the other side.

It was 6:02 AM Pacific Standard Time, 9:02 PM Eastern. Two World Trade had just been struck.

Okay, now I start to really get upset. My mom and brother were in the kitchen at that moment. I call out to them in a shaky voice that another plane just hit the other tower. It dawns on us--and the rest of the nation and the world--that we were under attack. The news only got worse. The Pentagon is hit. The South Tower collapses. The North Tower follows suit shortly thereafter. All flights in US airspace are grounded. I go to school with a sick feeling to my stomach. The halls of my high school were abuzz with fear and uncertainty. Then there were rumors; a car bomb went off in front of the State Department. There was another plane somewhere (which we later found out was Flight 93). We accomplished little at school. Most classrooms had the TVs on and tuned to the news. My Government teacher gave an impromptu lecture on the politics of the Middle East. As I walked home from school that day, a song by Incubus was stuck in my head, more specifically, “Drive” It was strangely appropriate:

“Sometimes I feels the fear of certainy stinging clear,
and I can’t help but ask myself how much I let the fear take the wheel and steer.
[...]
Whatever tomorrow brings I’ll be there,
with open arms and open eyes, yeah.

Five years later, I sit here on my bed, writing these words, and I still get choked up. And I live 3,000 miles away from where the attacks took place. It’s hard to fathom what it would have been like to watch it all unfold while standing in the middle of Manhattan or Washington DC. I can’t imagine the complete and utter hell the last few years have been like for those who lost friends and loved ones on those planes and in those buildings. And what those rescue workers went through in the days and weeks after 9-11, and what they’re suffering through today, some with scarred lungs, all with scarred lives. Words cannot express--or begin to express the sheer terror those trapped in those buildings with no way to escape must have gone through after the planes hit. It’s, it’s just…

On this site, we spend a lot of time debating issues in the realm of personal technology. Nothing’s wrong with that, technology is important, after all. But it’s important to take a step back and put things in perspective. There are soldiers half a world away fighting a war under the notion of fighting terrorism (I’m not going to get into a political discussion about that and open that can of worms right now; I ask that you do the same). And here we are, often fighting a virtual war of worlds over which operating system is superior. Seems kind of silly, doesn’t it? You bet it does. I’m not saying we should stop debating this stuff, but keeping the importance of what we wrangle over in the comments threads and forums in the tech community in perspective is very important. We can’t lose sight of what’s really important, especially in light of what happened five years ago this morning.

So step away from your computer. Walk over to your wife, your parents, your best friend. Give them a hug, a kiss, a handshake, or a pat on the back. Be grateful for what you have. Remember those who we lost five years ago today, and those who were left with empty spaces--much like New York City’s skyline--in their lives in 9-11’s wake. Pray for them; and if you’re not the praying type, at least keep them in your hearts and minds as you go through your day today. And remember that every moment we and our loved ones have on Earth is precious, and it can be taken away from us in an instant.