David Letterman and September 11th

It’s hard to believe that the most surreal and sad moment in modern history occured way back on September 11, 2001.  It’s been so long ago, in some ways, it is getting easy to forget.  If you go look at CNN.com right now, you’ll find one story about September 11th (not that CNN.com is anything but a glorified version of Entertainment Weekly anymore, but still).

And while that date is not something that I forget, it is easy to forget the emotion from that day and the days that followed.  It’s easy to forget how unified we were as a country, where everyone put petty and pointless politics aside and came together.  It’s easy to remember that before Rudy Gulliani became a poster boy for how not to run a presidential campaign, how (deservingly) reverred he was.  How President Bush, who among many (many, many) things is best known as someone who cannot talk said and did all the right things.

I caught this video of David Letterman’s first show on the air after September 11th today, and realized I had completely forgotten about this.  It’s hard to believe that I had.  Because seeing it again took me back to the night this aired and how chocked up myself and everyone around me got watching it.  I love David Letterman, but over the past few years, he has gotten a little bitter for my tastes.  And I don’t know anyone that says “you know, when the nation is looking a crisis dead in the eye, I want to hear from David Letterman.”  But by God, I don’t remember anyone doing it better during that time than ‘ol Dave.

Please take a minute and watch this…in particular, the story about the town in Montana the last minute of this clip.  If that doesn’t move you, I don’t know what will.