September 11
this was written by the lovely lizlemon on Castrocopia. She said it better than I would have.
Never Forget
11 September, 2008 Posted by: Liz Lemon
On a beautiful late summer morning 7 years ago today, unthinkable tragedy shattered our peace and security and, in that moment, united the whole world in communal shock and grief. For that day, the evil in the world was pervasive and all too real. Yet at the same time, the essential good in people turned to empathy, charity and heroism. Remember how strangers reached out to strangers and how families came together to love each other a little more? How volunteer firemen and everyday people risked their own lives to help others find their way out of a literal towering inferno? How ordinary passengers on a plane knowingly sacrified themselves to thwart a greater disaster?
Time has passed and the terrible impact of the day has dimished, perhaps become over-wrought, cliched and tiresome. Indeed, enough time has finally passed so that even those most directly devastated have found that survival brings eventual healing as life forces us to continue day by day.
And even though fading memories of September 11 no longer dominate our thoughts during the 364 days from one anniversary to the next, this is one day we should not forget entirely. Today at least, take a moment to remember how at 8:45 on Sept 11, we all faced crisis together and became more aware of our similarities than our differences. It's easy to focus on the evil behind the attacks and sink into despair about the state of humanity, but I'd like to start looking at it from another perspective. Instead of wallowing in despondency (which is my traditional approach), wouldn't it be something to rise above the pettiness of the everyday and make today a day to be a hero in some small way?
I'd love to invite anyone who would like to visit our CUSP thread on the forum to share something positive you've done for someone today. It doesn't have to be heroic on a large scale - it could just be a note of appreciation to a friend. After all the CUSP is all about making small differences on a global scale.
Virtual hugs to all of you. Have a grateful day!