This is a day of solemn reflection for the world, the United States and the Cayman Islands.

In the United States 10 years ago today 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger jets. The hijackers intentionally crashed two planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and thousands of those working in the buildings.

Both towers collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. A third plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. Hijackers had redirected the fourth plane toward Washington, DC, targeting either the Capitol Building or the White House, but crashed it in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania after passengers tried to take control of the plane.

Nearly 3,000 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks.

It was a terrorist act that changed the world.

In the Cayman Islands seven years ago today, we were waiting for the arrival of one of the worst hurricanes of our history - Hurricane Ivan. It was amazing that only two people lost their lives.

Nearly all the housing and commercial property on the Island sustained some form of damage and more than 70 per cent of that was severe.

Both events were life changing and filled with lessons to be learned.

Today, because of what has become known as 9-11, it’s harder to travel by aeroplane, wars have been launched to stop terrorism and terrorists acts have increased worldwide.

In the Cayman Islands, we learned to join together to help rebuild our country after Hurricane Ivan, which was no respecter of person, gender or class. Neighbours and strangers helped each other out and there was an overall mood of kindness. It’s a shame that it took a major disaster to bring us all together and it’s sad that we aren’t still in that mode of thinking.

As you go about this day take time to reflect on the disaster in the United States that shook the world and on the wreckage we lived through in Hurricane Ivan. How did those events affect you and your family?

Is it possible for the Cayman Islands to regain that sense of genteelness that we had following Ivan? The Observer on Sunday certainly hopes so, and we hope that it doesn’t take another disaster to return us to a civil society.