Poll respondents think more about family

Most of those surveyed were eager to try to put their feelings about Sept. 11 into words. Among the responses were:

• “I think a lot more about what we’re going to do in life, and I worry about other people, how they’re getting along.”

• “I’m learning to appreciate what I have now instead of always wanting stuff.”

• “I feel more positive and more need to get politically involved.”

• “It makes me wonder about what this world’s coming to — the economy, everything. It’s pretty scary.”

• “It makes me more leery wherever I’m traveling, more aware of what’s going on around me.”

• “It leaves a bitter feeling about the people in the Mideast — not all the Muslims, but the extremists.”

• “We’re trying to be more close as a family. That day (Sept. 11 this year), the TV’s not going on. We don’t want my 6-year-old to be depressed the whole day. It’s his birthday. It traumatized him on his birthday. He thought people were going to crash into our house and kill us.”

• “It made me feel more patriotic.”

• “I appreciate things more and realize, even when things are not as exciting, there’s a lot of comfort in everyday activities.”

• “I’m more aware of worldly matters.”

• “It made me appreciate what we have and to have more sympathy for other parts of the world. … It also made me very angry. It’s hard to get over.”

• “I was traveling and I was stopped east of Willard, and the flag person came up and asked if we’d heard anything more about the bombing in New York. I was waiting for the joke. It seemed like it was more than I could comprehend.”

• “Life is more important; live it to the fullest because you never know what’s going to happen.”

• “Not too long ago, I became an American citizen and they told me I’d have more trouble getting in and out of the country. I’m Mexican originally, but I’m afraid, if I go out, they won’t let me back in.”

• “We all need to become more with God.”

• “The homeland security movement is a threat.”

• “As a result of what happened, I’ve spent the last few months unemployed.”

• “It reaffirmed our faith and helped us realize that the most important things in life are our families.”

• “It changed my whole way of living. It turned it upside down.”

• “It makes you realize how expendable we all are. You’ve got to live for today, appreciate it. It made us aware of our own fragility.”

• “You never know when you might meet your maker.”

• “I lived through World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and I figure I can live through this. Whatever happens, we’ll be OK. I figure I can live through anything.”

• “As a veteran, it makes me reflect. I thought it was horrible, but, everyday, people all over the world are starving to death.”