... the world changed forever.  I don't have to go into what happened; goodness knows there's enough media outlets doing that today already.  Up to that point, we in the gaming world were readying for the upcoming release of the Xbox and the GameCube as if nothing else mattered.  Then, in an instant, such things seemed much less important.

Today, we're almost in the same position.  Two new consoles, the PS3 and the Wii, will be released very soon, and again, that's almost all that really matters.  Deep down, we all know that it's only a small facet of our lives.  Just once today, take a moment and reflect.

All that said, if there is one thing that has governed my life since that fateful day, it's that I WILL NOT LIVE IN FEAR.  A week before 9/11, I had purchased airfare for a vacation in California later that year.  The afternoon of September 11, 2001, I vowed I would not let a bunch of psychopaths ruin it.  I took the trip, as planned.

Similarly, don't let today distract you from living your life.  I plan on finding a game or two to play this evening ... maybe as comfort, maybe as striving to get back to normal, like many of us did back then.  But most of all, because it *is* part of my life, and I intend to enjoy it to the full.