Where were you when… 

Every now and then, there is a moment in time that defines an era. Those moments are rare. When they do happen, we tend to look back saying, “Where were you when…” 

Where were you when heard about the planes crashing into the Twin Towers? Where were you when Kurt Cobain died? How about John Lennon? JFK? Yes, I’m pointing out sad or shocking events —this seems to be the way the human psyche works. When these defining moments happen, especially the ones with devastating consequences, the light of the human spirit dispels the dark. 

It’s these dark yet defining moments when people band together, share in common grief, and support each other. It’s through the worst times that we get the best times. Only sadness can make us appreciate joy. Only the coldest Winter can make us appreciate Spring. 

Will it take another dark yet defining moment for people to come together again? To put ego to one side and remember their humanity? To move beyond their ideological capture and entertain another point of view? All this and more is possible, though it will take some time. How long exactly is up to the power of each individual.