I recently read a comment by a friend that reflected my own impressions of the industrious ant as observed so many times in my life. He questioned why people don’t respond like a colony of ants when their home is destroyed. Without hesitation, they begin to restore the anthill until there is no evidence that it had ever been destroyed.
Today I watched the results of ten years of human industriousness at work in the tenth anniversary of the events of September 11, 2001. In the past ten years, there have been political squabbles over whether to build or not to build on the site in New York which was attacked. There has been overhyped media attention given the events of the day, partially because it is necessary and partially because it is profitable. We have debated the morality of war and the investment of lives double that which were lost on that fateful day in 2001. Perhaps there is some native survival instinct implanted in all animal life as part of a planned creation. Whether playing out as the prime example of chaos theory in action or exemplifying the best that humanity has to offer, we have rebuilt the anthill.
No human activity is more motivated than commitment in commemoration of others. Those of us who knew people who lost their lives on September 11th will always carry on in their honor. Those of us who know heroes who survived and saved the lives of others will always continue to honor them. We can do no less.