Growing up, my mom would often talk about where she was when President Kennedy was assassinated.
My grandmother was a devoted Kennedy supporter, and her brother even served as an economic advisor to the president.
Those conversations always fascinated me.
How could a single moment be seared into someone's memory forever?
I never fully understood the power of those shared national moments until September 11, 2001.
That Morning
I was a young financial advisor in Midvale, Utah, fresh out of college with an economics degree and eager to prove myself in finance.
That morning, I had just finished getting dressed and wandered into our apartment's living room, turning on CNBC while tying my shoes. It was my usual morning routine.
Then it happened.
At first, I couldn't process what I was seeing on the screen.
The first airplane had just struck the World Trade Center, and the reporters were still trying to make sense of it.
As I stood there trying to understand, the second plane hit the other tower. Within minutes, news of additional planes and potential targets began flooding in.
I never made it to work that day. Like millions of Americans, I remained glued to the television, watching history unfold in real time.
The Power of Shared Memory
The tragedy of that event created something profound. It gave my generation a shared national memory that connected us the same way JFK's assassination had connected my mother's generation.
This week marked the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, and I was reminded again of memory's power to bind us together across generations.
Passing It Forward
Our church youth group had organized a fundraiser to display American flags throughout our neighborhood on significant holidays, and September 11th was one of them.
At 6:30 AM, thirteen young boys gathered in the pre-dawn darkness, ready to hammer stakes, unfurl flags, and honor the memory of that day.
One young man named Jacob arrived that morning. He had never heard of 9/11.
His father had taken time before dawn to explain what we were commemorating and why it mattered.
Watching Jacob proudly share what he'd learned, seeing him understand the honor of participating in this remembrance, reminded me of those childhood moments when my mother would share her Kennedy memories with me.
Full Circle
After we finished placing flags throughout the neighborhood, my two sons and I felt that familiar surge of pride and connection. We headed to the local bakery for donuts and kolaches.
As we sat together, I found myself sharing my 9/11 experience with them. I was passing along my own "where were you" story just as my mother had done for me decades earlier.
Some moments transcend time, creating bridges between generations through shared memory and meaning.
September 11th has become one of those moments for my generation.
It's a day that asks us not just to remember, but to help others understand why remembering matters.
Brandon Chapman
Creator of the Ghost Prints System