#189 infamy

Today is the anniversary of the day that will "live in infamy" as so proclaimed by President Roosevelt.  I was at the Pacific National Memorial on this date 44 years after the Pearl Harbor attack.  To walk across the submerged USS Arizona and to know that the souls of many crew members remain there is a profoundly moving and memorable experience.  I believe the National Park Service has done a commendable job of conveying the horror of the day's events as well as the heroics that occurred.  Anyone who has actually been there will recall memories every year on this date.

But for most Americans, the day that will "live in infamy" is just another date on the calendar.  The attack happened over 70 years ago, long before most living people were born.  Those who were alive in 1941 could tell you where they were when they heard the news and it often brings back vivid emotions.  But a declining number know that today is Pearl Harbor Day, and even fewer know what events the day triggered.  

You can already see the diminishing impact of 9-11; only a decade later it becomes more like a regular day with each passing year.  Unless you live in Oklahoma, you likely can't tell me the date of the Murrah Federal Building bombing (4-19-95) even though it was the largest act of terrorism on the mainland before September 11.

There are some events and days that should live in infamy.  National tragedies to be sure,  but on a more micro-level there are dates that are organizationally or personally significant and should be commemorated each year.  Think about the dates on your timeline -- which ones deserve annual acknowledgement?  Help your relatives and colleagues and neighbors hear the stories about these days, feel the emotions and know the significance of the dates that altered the events after them.

-- beth triplett
leadershipdots.blogspot.com
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