thought a day late. I know it has nothing to do with weight loss or body image or
acceptance or self-esteem. But it does have to do with change.
(copyright Mateus_27:24&25)
Where were you when the world stopped turning, in that September day?
I was on the band field, then we came inside, put our stuff up, the bell had already
rung, so we were late, as usual. As we entered the main part of the school, I was struck
by the eerie silence. Usually, you heard some sort of noise, secretaries on the phone,
teachers teaching, students talking, etc. the silence was so thick, you could feel it
pressing in on you. My 2nd period class was history. As I neared my class wing, I could
hear the TVs were on, and as I walked into class, I saw the towers on fire, smoke
billowing out, and everything. I quietly took my seat, then watched, in horror, as the
second plane hit. And then, they fell. It was tragic and heartbreaking. After the towers were hit, then the Pentagon, then Flight 93, we worried whether our own areas would be hit next, living near a nuclear plant was a scary place to be at this time.
In the days that followed the grief was heavy in our country. We ached and grieved
for the families affected, for the men, women and children whose lives were taken
from them. We grieved for the family and friends they left behind. We hurt.
Mr. Rogers says to look at every tragedy and look for the heroes, find the good when we are scared or frightened.
Our country banded together at that time. Instead of being white or black, instead of
being Christian or not, rich or poor, etc, we became New Yorkers, we became Americans, and more than that, we became "just people." We cared about each other, we helped each other, we loved each other. We struck down the dividers and the blinders, and just lived as one people for awhile. We watched the crews of police officers, fire fighters, and paramedics, combing the rubble, risking their lives before the towers fell to help others get out, searching long after their shifts were over, etc. seeing the search and rescue dogs get depressed from finding no living, and then random people on the street volunteering to hide, so that the dogs could find someone to help.
We watched America stand shoulder to shoulder, in a circle of devotion, strong as brothers, bound in love. These are the things we ought to remember, yes, remember the fallen, remember the lost, but never forget, that we are people first, we are ALL of us, people first, everything else is second. And people deserve respect, people deserve love.
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