Before the year 2001, the date September 11th meant nothing. It was nowhere near a holiday or any other important date that triggers an association (like April 15, June 6, or December 7). After 2001, however, September 11th is one of the most evocative days on the calendar.

On this 22nd anniversary of the attacks against the U.S., I decided to crack open my well-read copy of The Fourth Turning and share some morsels. Keep in mind this book was written in 1997, almost a quarter century ago, so obviously it had no inkling of what was coming. I emphasize this because some “predictive” books are held up as being prescient, but the logic and comparisons are so tortured as to make it pointless. In sharp contrast, The Fourth Turning seems terrifyingly accurate.

It is early morning, with the fog-shrouded sky concealing the puny amount of sunlight on the horizon. I am walking my two large dogs on the wild lawn of Palo Alto’s main post office, constructed during the Great Depression and looking every bit worse for the wear. The dogs are both gnawing on long strands of grass, having found the very specific variety of plant that they seem to favor, and I gaze off into the parking lot on the other side of Hamilton Avenue.