My son’s high school class had a cross-country field trip planned: there’s nothing like learning about your country’s history right there where it’s being made and on display.
Then suddenly all planes were grounded everywhere across the US. And when they were allowed to start flying again, nobody knew: were there more hijackers waiting for us to relax our guard? Was it even appropriate to go? Should they risk it?
The trip was called off. Then back on, as differing opinions chimed in. Finally the school put it to the parents and the kids: did they think they should still go? Nobody would be penalized in any way if they didn’t want to nor if the parents felt they could not put their kids in that peril so soon after.
In the end, nearly every kid did go.
Ours came home and said, Our bus took us past the Pentagon. We saw the gaping hole. There was still smoke coming out of it. We saw it. (I remember the ‘how do you even take in the reality of this’ look on his face.) We saw it.