(the misadventures of an expatriate corporate dropout)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

in memoriam.


Saving my frippery for another day. Seven years ago I had just returned from NYC's financial district after an interview. Just prior to hitting NYC, I had been in Italy ... so I was still pretty jet-lagged and awoke in the wee hours in California, doing my usual move of flipping on CNN for background noise.

Eventually I observed the entire onslaught. From the very first words regarding an explosion in the WTC, to live film of the planes hitting ... and all the devastation that followed.

I phoned a dear friend of mine as it was happening, urging him to wake up and turn on CNN because I thought we were under attack. We watched it unfold together, sharing our shock and horror via telephone.

I was responsible in our division for enacting our business continuity plans in case of emergency. Because I worked for a major brokerage company, this obviously meant coordination (or attempted coordination, I should say) with our NY operations.

It was a horrible, horrible time. Indescribable.

It carried on with me daily for some time, and on through the NY Time's heartbreaking yet important memorialization of all who were lost.

There really aren't any words sufficient to describe what occurred, or the aftermath.

And yet, countless others in nations throughout the world have suffered and continue to suffer far worse. Does one outweigh or justify the other?

On an individual level, perhaps. I have friends who say the United States and its citizens have little right for outcry, given all the wrongs they have perpetrated in the world.

So, on a national or world level, I say most likely, no. Our loss of 3,000 lives can not really justify the loss of tens (perhaps hundreds) of thousands of innocent civilian lives that have come about as revenge.

In any event, today I mourn for the innocent families who still bear the marks, the pain of that awful Tuesday 7 years ago.


(photo from www.theharrowgroup.com)

6 comments:

Randal Graves said...

I don't think it's a question of one outweighing the other, but the fact that 99% of the six billion people are under the yoke, in some form or another, of the other 1%. I think we have plenty to ask for, willingly playing out of sight/out of mind with our exploitation of the third world to save a few bucks at Wal-Mart, for starters. Of course, I could go on forever and that's really not the point of your post.

Humanity's continued inhumanity towards itself. I doubt we'll ever learn.

Randal Graves said...

answer for, not ask for.

La Belette Rouge said...

I cannot even connect to my feelings about 9/11 today as I am so aware of the Republicans have used this for their own ends and I fear the same will be done today. I feel an outrage that sickens me and feel impotent to make a difference. But, I am going to a fund raiser for Obama on Sunday. It is not much---but it is more than I did for Gore or Kerry.

Utah Savage said...

La balette says it for me. I'm sickened for the way 9/11 has become a brand-name connected to the worst mayor ever and the big hat "from Texas" to be used as an excuse for an illegal war on an innocent country. 9/11 as a trademark, belongs to the Republicans, according to the republicans.

Like you, I was futzing around with CNN on as background noise, and heard the sound of shock enter someone's voice. I turned around and saw the first plane hit.

Stacey said...

ditto la belette and Utah. I don't know how to feel about 9/11, since the (R)s have (mis)appropriated the whole event to do whatever the hell they want to do to the rest of the world.

On the day, though, I remember what I feel is great sadness and loss.

Non Je Ne Regrette Rien said...

I'm glad I'm not there to witness the ugly spectacle of the Republican display. I did see the video that was presented during the RNC and I was physically sickened.

But like some mentioned, my purpose here was just to recognize the innocent lives lost and for what?