I remember the flags. They were everywhere, days after 9/11/01. All over the news, all over the neighborhoods, all over the consciousness of America. The flags brought us together in working through our pain and grief. I didn't lose anybody specific to the attacks, although I know plenty who did.

But it affected me and my family in many ways, not least of which was the loss of my job a month later, due to "post-9/11 economic downturns." The time I was out of work was when I became more active in the LEGO community, and that winding path led to me being part of creating BZPower. Not to blow my own trumpet too loudly, it's questionable whether there'd be a BZPower today if 9/11 hadn't happened. So in some strange way, at least some good sprouted from the ashes of that terrible day.

Actually, that wasn't where I was going with this blog entry; I've been fuming all day over religious ideologues and how they've usurped my flag to glorify and promote their own narrow, self-centered viewpoints. I was planning to rant about that. But after the above paragraph fell out of my fingertips, I found I preferred focusing on more positive things instead. Especially with the overload of "5 Years Later" infesting the popular media.

I remember well enough, thank you. Frequently.