--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: September 11 reinforced for me that…" description: "\"September 11 reinforced for me that whatever I'm writing about, it better be something that really matters to me because we don't know what's going to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/stephen-adly-guirgis-13751_about_september-11-reinforced-for-me-that-what_2096703.jpg" --- # September 11 reinforced for me that whatever I'm writing… ![“September 11 reinforced for me that whatever I'm writing about, it better be something that really matters to me because we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. And for me it's stories about people in pain in New York.” quote by Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/stephen-adly-guirgis-13751_about_september-11-reinforced-for-me-that-what_2096703.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/stephen-adly-guirgis-13751_about_september-11-reinforced-for-me-that-what_2096703.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fec/stephen-adly-guirgis-13751_about_september-11-reinforced-for-me-that-what_2096703.jpg) > “September 11 reinforced for me that whatever I'm writing about, it better be something that really matters to me because we don't know what's going to happen tomorrow. And for me it's stories about people in pain in New York.” [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Personal urgency and relevance drive meaningful storytelling, especially about suffering in familiar places. **In simple terms:** Write about what matters deeply to you. Key Takeaway Focus on authentic, urgent topics. Themes purpose authenticity urgency Mood passionate serious Type motivational philosophical When to use this quote - journalism - fiction - memoir - therapy writing Key Concepts narrative ethics personal motivation Questions to Reflect On - What stories demand your urgent voice? - How to balance personal stakes with universal relevance? 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As we commemorate the anniversary of 9-11,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-mccaul/last-week-the-house-of-representatives-passed-a-resolution-honoring/) [Michael McCaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-mccaul/) > [There will be no going back to the era before September 11th, 2001, to false comfort in a dangerous world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/there-will-be-no-going-back-to-the-era-before-september-11th-2001-to/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [Immediately after the September 11th attacks, I volunteered to go to Afghanistan in any capacity that the CIA wanted me. Four months passed before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kiriakou/immediately-after-the-september-11th-attacks-i-volunteered-to-go-to/) [John Kiriakou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kiriakou/) > [As governor, I came to believe that the death penalty would be a just punishment for certain, especially heinous crimes, such as the murder…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-dean/as-governor-i-came-to-believe-that-the-death-penalty-would-be-a-just/) [Howard Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-dean/) > [But since September 11, we have made every effort to try to work closely with state and local law enforcement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-mueller/but-since-september-11-we-have-made-every-effort-to-try-to-work/) [Robert Mueller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-mueller/) > [ \[New York\] is a city largely based on great skyscrapers, and they will always be the essence of New York. That won't change, just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/new-york-is-a-city-largely-based-on-great-skyscrapers-and-they-will/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Fifteen years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the United States government still has little idea how many foreign travelers overstay their visas annually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-meadows/fifteen-years-after-the-september-11-terrorist-attacks-the-united/) [Mark Meadows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-meadows/) > [Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-w-bush/tonight-i-ask-for-your-prayers-for-all-those-who-grieve-for-the/) [George W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-w-bush/) > [But the point is to get a whole new generation of people and people in general more re-engaged in news, and this has happened…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/but-the-point-is-to-get-a-whole-new-generation-of-people-and-people/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [America is stronger than ever. We will forever remember those we lost on September 11, 2001. In honoring their memory, we will remain true…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-bayh/america-is-stronger-than-ever-we-will-forever-remember-those-we-lost/) [Evan Bayh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-bayh/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) ## More by Stephen Adly Guirgis > [I think anything that anyone writes thats any good is going to have a lot of autobiography.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-think-anything-that-anyone-writes-thats-any-good-is-going-to-have-a/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“JUDGE LITTLEFIELD (re: the writ): Cunningham, I do not like it when lawyers go over my head. CUNNINGHAM: You gave me no choice. EL-FAYOUMY:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/judge-littlefield-re-the-writ-cunningham-i-do-not-like-it-when/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“Oh, just some crap about the essential paradox of man: How we refuse to juxtapose the absolute to the relative, and some other some-such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/oh-just-some-crap-about-the-essential-paradox-of-man-how-we-refuse-to/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“What is it that we need to overcome in order to truly be “Ourselves”?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/what-is-it-that-we-need-to-overcome-in-order-to-truly-be-ourselves/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“I do know that I am in continuous need of the Spiritual and that I usually go to great lengths to avoid it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-do-know-that-i-am-in-continuous-need-of-the-spiritual-and-that-i/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“JUDGE LITTLEFIELD: Good. Now, when I come to court dressed as Ethel Merman in a one-piece bathing suit, that’ll be my signal to you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/judge-littlefield-good-now-when-i-come-to-court-dressed-as-ethel/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [I had just done something in TV, but my real love is theater. I had won this award and I was up at Yale,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-had-just-done-something-in-tv-but-my-real-love-is-theater-i-had-won/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“Thomas Merton said, “To be a saint means to be myself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/thomas-merton-said-to-be-a-saint-means-to-be-myself/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“CUNNINGHAM:—Your Honor, I cite the Beatitudes, and Kierkegaard. I cite Christ on the Cross! JUDGE LITTLEFIELD: I cite my foot in your ass, Cunningham!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/cunningham-your-honor-i-cite-the-beatitudes-and-kierkegaard-i-cite/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [I've lived with women, loved women, lost women. They've loved me, lost me, whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/i-ve-lived-with-women-loved-women-lost-women-they-ve-loved-me-lost-me/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“MARY MAGDALENE: I also knew Judas Iscariot very well. SAINT MONICA: Gangsta!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/mary-magdalene-i-also-knew-judas-iscariot-very-well-saint-monica/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“Do you know who W.H. Auden was, Mr. Iscariot? W.H. Auden was a poet who once said, “God may reduce you on Judgement Day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/do-you-know-who-w-h-auden-was-mr-iscariot-w-h-auden-was-a-poet-who/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“JUDGE LITTLEFIELD: What’s your name, Bailiff?! BAILIFF: Julius of Outer Mongolia.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/judge-littlefield-what-s-your-name-bailiff-bailiff-julius-of-outer/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [“JUDGE LITTLEFIELD: Your client is Judas Iscariot! Your client sold out the son of God, for Chrissakes!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/judge-littlefield-your-client-is-judas-iscariot-your-client-sold-out/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) > [One way to make a positive out of a negative is that you can put it into your work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-adly-guirgis/one-way-to-make-a-positive-out-of-a-negative-is-that-you-can-put-it/) [Stephen Adly Guirgis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) [Explore all 49 Stephen Adly Guirgis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-adly-guirgis/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. 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As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' 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