They [Boomers] had nothing to draw on but themselves. And, in that split second of dread, they discovered for themselves the depths of their character, the beauty of their hearts, and the generosity of their souls.
Boomers, critical of their own self-absorption, were tried in the flames that burned away this superficial dross to show how they put away self-concern for the sake of others.
— Eugene Kennedy, 9-11: Meditations at the Center of the World