In this age of blogs and myspace, audio books and iPods, I feel a bit dated by admitting that I like to read. I feel equally lame putting down 'reading' as a hobby. Nonetheless, I scour the bookstores for bargains because as much as I enjoy reading, I don't like paying full price. Well, unless, of course it is the latest book from one of my favorite authors. There is something real about holding a book in your hands and turning the pages. Conjuring images from the words given by the author. Greedily, consuming the story page after page to what I hope is a satisfying end. And if it is particularly intriguing reading it again. I recently finished a book of short stories written by an impressive array of authors, some of whom I am familiar with and others I am not. It is called 'Transgressions' and is edited by Ed McBain who is also a contributor. I skimmed through the book and picked the ones that struck my fancy.

There is a story written by Stephen King called, 'The Things They Left Behind'. It is one man's experience as survivor of and his life after 9/11 - the day that changed America. I didn't want to read it. While no one I knew had perished in this tragedy, it still affected my deeply. I know exactly where I was when it had happened. When evil was broadcast for the entire world to see, when courage became real for those in need. I was at work and the TV in my area was tuned to CNBC as usual. People where asking if I had heard. I had. It was all over the news. Planes had hit the Twin Towers in New York. It was surreal. We watched mesmerized as the horror unfolded. The realization that it was deliberate made it all the more terrifying. This wasn't the first time I've seen such a tragedy unfold before me on TV. I remember watching the space Shuttle Challenger break apart during what was supposed to be history in the making. It was but for a very different reason. I remember the looks on the families' faces as they gazed upwards at the debris raining down. Confused and bewildered. Not wanting to comprehend what they were witnessing - the unthinkable, the unchangeable.

Six years ago on September 11, the unthinkable, the unchangeable happened. And it still continues to alter our lives. Those who lost their loved ones will always be reminded of their pain. Because it is a loss that we felt as our own. No one can prepare for a life cut short or an event that could change the way a whole world lives. But like the character in Stephen King's story, we can learn a new way to live with the truth of our new reality.