THE thirteen years of recovery since 9/11 have given people time to heal, yet it still seems just a moment ago.

For people of a similar age to myself it seems more than a world away. Being only three years old at the time of the attacks, I and most of my peers, have no recollection of the event. In spite of this, our lives have undoubtedly been moulded by the aftermath of that day.

In response to 9/11 attacks the ‘war on terror’ was launched. This phrase is a familiar one to my generation despite the fact that we have no idea – apart from what we’ve seen on TV and heard from adults – of what the day that became the catalyst for this conflict really consisted of and felt like.

Since 2001 the news has been littered with phrases like ‘war on terror’, pictures of the invasions in Afghanistan, constant references to the Taliban and never-ending conflicts with al-Qaeda.

There is no doubt that my life has been significantly affected by an event I don’t even remember. I find this set of facts interesting that, even with no recollection of it, 9/11 may possibly have been one of the most important events in the last 20 years and has shaped how my generation has grown up.

The attacks started a whole new world of warfare, one which appears to be ceaseless, despite spanning over a decade. This ‘war’ on terror has spread over numerous countries, resulted in millions of deaths, split countries apart and led to the 21st century being politically governed by paranoia.

Nonetheless we need to remember 9/11, to remember those who fell, those who were injured, and the families and friends left behind. Alongside this we also need to keep in our thoughts those who have fallen since in the 13-year-long aftermath of the Twin Towers attacks.