11 reflections on 9/11: John Fernandez, Bloomington mayor

I think we will always remember the images, impressions and feelings that were part of our 9/11 experience. I will always remember the horrible and terrifying images of the planes going into the towers and the towers' collapse. I will always remember the expressions on the faces of the firemen and the policemen, exhausted from grueling work and covered with soot, crying for their losses and for those of everyone around them.\nBut I will also remember that for a brief period of time we were all one, united by a shared experience, a shared pain, and a shared desire to comfort one another -- family, friend or stranger. This sense of unity and compassion may have settled a bit, but I think it would be a fitting tribute to the men and women who lost their lives on 9/11 to do what we can to nurture the spark.