911 anniversery

[135711]

it's one year since the 911 tragedy, how is eveyone hailing?
for me: i did okay, for a while i went to work every day and helped out people find jobs when they got laid off. i feel proud of my accomplishments, i must've helped place about 100 men find jobs, and about 100 women also. the program i worked with is called WIA, and it was a great program, but because of 911, i lost my job.

[epeefencer74]

I remember this day, for the horror of watching the towers collapse on TV. I remember and the heroisms it brought out, the rescue workers' unceasing efforts and sacrifice to get people out. I remember especially the chaplin of the New York Fire Department, Fr. Mychal Judge, who till his last breath was administering the last rites and comforting those who were dying and suffering. His battered and broken body carried out by those he loved. I remember that evil though still abound in this world has no hold over us if we choose the rise above it. I remember a year on that if the world is to change it has to start with each of us, in our seemingly small and insignificant way. If each of us just took a moment to examine how we live and decide to better it, how much better the world would be. For it is the little drops of water that make up the ocean, it is the little bit of love that makes life worth living for.

To those of us who are coaches, we are in a special position. Yes our main duty is to teach fencing, but who is to say that, fencing is the only thing we must teach? We can teach tolerance of others and of their opinions, we can teach self control and self discipline, something that fencing is well placed to do so, we can teach responsibilty for ones own actions. The best way to do this is through our own living example. We are called to be coaches, role models of behaviour for those we impart our skills to, therefore we should be the best person that we can be, to be honourable in all we do and to treat each person with the dignity that they deserve simply for being human. In this way we influence those who learn from us. In this small way we make the world a little better.

Though I'm so far away, so far removed from New York, I am still part of the human family, and I feel for your people as citizens of the world. To those of you who have lost loved ones in this, to those of you whose lives have been affected I offer you my prayers. I know it is paltry compared to your loss, but please accept it in the spirit it is given.

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May the Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you peace
May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you all the days of your lives. Amen.

[Purple Fencer]

Check out the following link in tribute to this day. You'll need your speakers going.

http://www.drumcorpsplanet.com/911.htm

[Catlady]

I'm feeling okay. I wasn't hit that hard by it in the beginning. Then as now, I'm somewhat goulish and have been watching all the coverage. I do feel sad though because we are all connected. I just posted a section of writing by John Donne on the Van Damm thread that covers that, and I'm too lazy to type it again. I related to Epeefencer74 in away. I'm not a coach, nor do I have kids of my own, though I have been in a position before where I worked with kids and there are several children in my life--cousins, neighbors, etc. about whom I care very much. The issue touched me more with the situation with the shootings in Littleton though since that's where one set of cousins live. At the time none of them were old enough to go to high school, and the older set were all ready finished with high school, however the kids who were in school were close enough to the scene that they were kept inside their school until the authorities were certain the area was safe and nothing else was going to happen. Back to the responsibility. As a writer, I'm sort of the embodiment of the collective memory. To some extent I enjoy the responsibility and am honored, but at times like this its hard when you're supposed to come up with something comforting and profound and you're just as stunned. I've tried to write about it so far, but haven't come up with anything good enough for public consumption yet. As many writers will attest, it takes awhile for the emotion to sink in enough to be able to write rationally about it. To convey the emotion, but not be overcome by it. I'm fundamentally a bleeding heart and I admit, the part that gets to me is not so much the death that occurred, but seeing the pain of those left behind. As I said then, and I still believe now, the victims are with God. They're all right. They would not want us to be too sad for them, although I think perhaps they are sad for us because of what we dont' know and the perspective it's impossible for us to have. I also believe the terrorists, while definitely not with God, are where they belong too. My belief in hell is that it is being aware of all the hurt you have caused others, and realizing who and what you could have become if only your behavior had been better. I think this understanding is complete and perfect and as incomprehensible to us as anything else concerning our fates after death.
For those offended by religion, I'm sorry. I believe I've found truth and meaning, however if you think I"m full of it, you're entitled to that opinion and I hope you have found truth, peace and meaning in your beliefs whatever they are. I had a thought for a memorial though. What about leaving an open space planted with red roses, one for each victim in the towers and on the planes that struck them? I was thinking red to represent blood and courage. Of course red is my favorite color, so that may have something to do with it. Either that, or choose a rose to represent your loved one, and we'll plant it. Won't happen, but it might be nice.

[Moonitic]

I avoided all tv, radio & newspaper coverage. The overkill was disgusting. I'm not fond of the media, especially in tragic situations.

Instead, I celebrated LIFE.

As for what I did: I went up to the high school, where I'm now coach for the color guard. I got talked into having practice, which wasn't a big deal. Even though I had my baby with me, we all had a nice time. It was a GORGEOUS day. Perfect temp, sun shining & all that.

[dreadfoil]

Well, the media has always been our favorite target. but, as they're people too, let's give them a little space in this instance, I don't think anyone knew what to do. I don't like teddy bears and bundles of flowers strewn all over the place after a disaster, I'd rather see some prevention.