How do you feel your life has changed since September 11?

I asked this question because I wanted some sort of compilation of various points of view regarding how life for everyone has changed since September 11. No "expert" opinion about society as a whole will ever tell anyone more than what every individual's opinion about himself will tell, hence my question. I wanted individual responses, and I wanted an accurate depiction of how people think their lives have changed. (If I were able to amass enough to qualify as a statistical sample of the population, which is impossible, the following results would be much more accurate. Regardless, they are accurate to those who provided answers, which satisfies my goal.)

They are arranged in the order in which I received them; first come, first post.

I don't believe my life has been affected as much as others would like to think. Those who do not live in New York, Washington, or do not know someone directly affected by 9/11, I believe, have not been greatly affected. Living quite close to another large U.S. city (Chicago), after the attacks one has to wonder if the same consequences will befall one's own home. I guess what I'm trying to say is that after September 11th, I did not feel as safe as I once did. We are always taught in history class that the Japanese were the only outside power to ever attack American interests, though now teachers have to teach new lessons about what it means for our homeland to be "secure".

Lia

I think the only way my life has changed since September 11 is that now my desire to get out of this country has intensified. Osama bin Laden and company are not the only people pissed off at America and I don't want to be caught in the crossfire. I'm glad I was born in a free country but I don't want to take responsibility for actions I don't condone.

But other than that, my life hasn't changed. I'm still paranoid about flying, about leaving my house in general, but that was the case BEFORE Sept. 11. That paranoia didn't stop me then and it won't stop me now. Life goes on for me.

Lashonda

If the events of September 11th have proven anything, it's that the terrorists can attack us, but they can't take away what makes us American - our freedom, our liberty, our civil rights. No, only Attorney General John Ashcroft can do that.

Jon Stewart (submitted by Jonah Cohen)

People are more frantic. I can't say that's changed my life much otherwise.

nickd

Not that this will seem funny to anyone else, but I can rest confident in the fact that the vending machine that stole my dollar at the top of one of the trade centers is now a tangled mass of steel.

Oh yeah... and some other stuff, I guess.

Tim Wickberg

As far as my daily routine goes, I'd say what I do hasn't changed at all, really. However, I would say probabally not a day goes by when I don't think about it, seeing that plane hit the tower. It still seems surreal, even after seeing all the pictures, and actually going to Ground Zero. I think it has made me, in a way, rearrange my priorities, but it hasn't had as big an effect as I would have expected. This is most likely because I was fortunate enough not to know personally any of those affected by the tragedy.

Dave Stroup

I don't think "my life has changed in any substantial way. I do think that our "communal life" (help me with a better expression) has changed since September 11th. I think that Americans are focusing more on "shared values" rather than "partisan ideologies" (despite some of the nonsense going on in the next city down the road from me). Most notable is the coming together of rational people to engage in reasoned debate - and the bipartisan shouting down of the marginal fringes.

On a personal level, I've been less willing to "bait the opposition" (except in my banter with Will - that's a different story).

Tony Adragna

Well, the attacks really hit close to home for me. One. b/c i was born in NY and used to live in the city for a while. I also have family that still live there. They were alright fortunatly. I remember seeing the WTC daily when i used to live there, and just standing in awe at how huge and amazing this building was. Its still hard for me to think that it is not there. My life has changed. It kinda made me think at how vulnerable we can be, I kinda "grew up" a little more as well. I tend not to take things for granted. I still have pictures of the WTC in my house, and i used to just think of it as a building. Now i realize how important that building really was. It was more than a building, it was a symbol.

Mike Farinelli

Things that have changed in my life since September 11. First, I lost my job on October 26. I used to work at Universal Studios, Hollywood. The downturn in airline travel and associated downturn in the theme park business meant that they had some major layoffs, of which I was one. Second, being unwilling to travel on airlines myself (due to the additional hassles and poor service), I changed holiday plans for Thanksgiving. Third, I spend a lot more time looking for news. While I have done that during past events, i.e. the Gulf War, this is the first time that 95% of my information is coming from the web.

Other than that, my life hasn't changed much at all.

Matt Harris

I'm afraid that I must say, without any hesitation of thought, that my life has not changed at all since September 11. I must say this because it truly hasn't; every day i still rise, repeat my scholastic activities, and then expiernce the wonderful jollies of working retail with the approaching Christmas. I have no immediate ties to anyone inolved with that fateful day or the retaliation involved. Thus, the only real change that has occurred in my life rests with my state of mind and state of heart. I think of the people involved every day. I pray for the people involved every night. And maybe I shouldn't say "people," because I do not think of just groups. It's the persons that I keep in my heart. All of those that were/are victimized, inconvenienced, and devastated by consequences from which they had no action of cause. Therein lies my change.

Mike Yanosy

Honestly, all that's happened is that I watch more news. That's all. Realistically, this has had very little effect on me.

Tim Dorr

My life, since 11 September, has changed in a couple of ways. First, airport security has become a bitch. Second, the news will not talk about other things. Third, my girlfriend and I broke up on 11 September, just minutes before the second plane hit the other tower. Yes, times have changed, indeed. I just thought, since you asked, that I would share that with you.

Calvin Thomas

My life has changed in a number of ways. I think that for me, it is the same as most others. I have become (more) paranoid, not only of other nations but what our own government hides from us, and obviously, I think that there has been a severe amount of sorrow introduced to everyone's life, as well as a firey passion to break stuff. Mostly Osama-related stuff... like his face...

Ryan Hates

I wake up every day and hope nothing terrible has happened.

Andrea (serialdeviant.org)