Beyond the Build

Leadership

The Day After

Last weekend marked an important date–20 years since the September 11 Attacks. Like many, I spent some time re-watching the coverage and remembering. One of the things that stood out for me was the unity that our country felt in the fall of that year.

In the shadow of that dark day, Americans felt less invincible than we had in the past. But we also stood together with our neighbors, regardless of their political leaning. We supported our leaders and turned to our faith to answer the questions that logic couldn’t. I read that on September 12, 2001, 88,000 U.S. flags were sold in Wal-Mart stores. We were all proud to be Americans.

In the years that have followed, we’ve seen our country become more divided than ever, and the arrival of COVID-19 has accelerated disagreements even more. In light of the anniversary, I’ve made a personal commitment to live every day like it’s September 12, 2001. Let’s help our neighbors, work together, get through the tough times as a community and see good light.

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Merrill Stewart Jr.

Merrill Stewart is Founder and CEO of The Stewart/Perry Company, a commercial building contractor based in Birmingham.