think, write, share

http://www.logboy.com/wtc/world.html

[via Randall's site]

I have more to say later. For now, just look.

For those of you who know me well, know that I have little faith in humanity. It’s been my view that people are self-serving, only concerned about themselves. In a matter of days, that’s all changed.

I have a renewed faith in the human spirit. The response by the citizens of New York has been nothing short of miraculous. It fills my heart with pride the way that the people of New York has responded to the crisis. The firefighters who refused medical help, for fear of being pulled from Ground Zero. The medical personnel who risked everything to help those in need. The 1.4 million people who have called the Red Cross wanting to volunteer. The 1.2 million people who wanted to donate blood. The thousands of people who’ve donated money through the various charities. I heard stories of people here, in the Bay Area, waiting in line for 5 hours just to have the opportunity to give blood.

The last few days have extremely emotional to me. Tears well in my eyes when I see the coverage of the people gathering together for candlelight vigils. The sight of members of Congress singing God Bless America made me feel the same way. And that’s not just cause most of them are tone deaf.

The solidarity that Americans are showing is astounding. The tremendous faith of the American people is refreshing to me. For a country who seemed to me moving away from spirituality and religion, the amount of people turning out in force to attend services gives me great comfort. I attended prayer services at my Church last Friday and I was amazed by the amount of people who were there. The solemn Church had people of all races, and age. All brought together by a common grief and sorrow. And today, during 9am mass, there was a crowd of people there of a size which I had not seen since last Easter. Amazing.

Walmart reports that they have sold 250,000 flags over the last week. The NY Daily News and NY Newsday all had a two-page spread which contained an American flag, for those unable to purchase one. The patriotism expressed by the citizens of this great country is unprecedented.

God Bless America.

Psalm 28

Unto thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me:

lest, if thou be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplications, when I cry unto thee,

when I lift up my hands toward thy holy oracle.

Draw me not away with the wicked, and with the workers of iniquity,

which speak peace to their neighbours, but mischief is in their hearts.

Give them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their endeavours:

give them after the work of their hands; render to them their desert.

Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands,

he shall destroy them, and not build them up.

Blessed be the LORD, because he hath heard the voice of my supplications.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped:

therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him.

The LORD is their strength, and he is the saving strength of his anointed.

Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance:

feed them also, and lift them up for ever.

The nation wakes up this morning to the smoldering remains of the two tallest structures ever built in New York City. The rising of the sun brings with it the dawning of a new age in this land. The innocense of generations were, in a matter of moments, stolen away and lost forever in the dust, ash, and debris.

It is hard to believe that just over 26 hours ago, everything was business as usual. People made their normal commutes into the city. They rode the crowded subways, packed in like sardines, wondering about whatever it is that people wonder about. No one wondered if they would survive the day.

Then it hit. A plane smashes into the north tower. Oh my Lord. What a horrible accident. Then suddenly, as the world was watching, a second plane comes screaming across the New York skyline and is engulfed in ball of fire as it dives into the south tower. This was no accident. This was war.

It had been stated over and over yesterday. But I think it’s worth saying again. September 11th, 2001 will be a day which will define America. It is a date that no one will ever forget. While casualty numbers will continue to increase for weeks to come, it is a safe to assume that this will be the greatest tragedy ever to occur on US soil. Comparisons have been made to Pearl Harbor. This is much worse.

We knew who the enemy was back in ‘41. We knew who attacked us and we had a rallying point. 60 years later, this is not the case. We’re not entirely sure who was behind this. Even if we did, we probably don’t know where they are. We wouldn’t be at war with a nation, with the option of surrender; we would be at war with select few individuals, who may never stop their reign of terror.

But that will not deter us. The American people will unite. Race divisions seem trivial. Political allegiances seem insignificant. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in. We are Americans. We will be stronger. We will prevail. At the least we will move on.

And maybe, just maybe, some good may come out of this. We can only hope and pray.

A part of me is dead.

For someone like me who always seems to have more words than necessary, I find myself speechless, trying to contain the absolute turmoil that is present in my heart. It’s horrible. I haven’t felt like this since last winter, when I found out about the death of my friend. I feel like if I don’t control myself I’m just going to break down and lose all sanity.

But thankfully, my dad and uncle who both work in Manhattan are both safe. They may be stuck there overnight, as all the bridges and tunnels are closed. But at least they’re both safe, which makes me feel a little relieved. And I did get a news feed into my cube, so at least I can keep track of the happenings.

Thank you to everyone who sent me messages this morning asking about me and my family. Bless you all.