Spontaneous

This really surprised me, that people would come out and congregate together in celebration.

In front of the White House, chants of "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" filled the night air, and the quickly growing group spontaneously broke into an off-key rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

In New York, a cheering crowd gathered at Ground Zero -- the site where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood. Strains of "God Bless America" could be heard intermittently trickling through the crowd.

I was on the West Coast in September 2011, and somehow, even though the shock of 9/11 hit us, I think we were a little protected from it.

Let us never forget.

 It has defined a generation.