September 11 & the Wars
It's funny, you know, when you look back at
what was once so important to you years later. Especially in light of how
this world has changed.
I don't think any of us will ever forget September 11, 2001. That day, for
many in my generation, is like the assassination of JFK was for my parents and
grandparents. They can recall with vivid detail exactly what they were doing
when
they heard that a bullet had torn through our nation's president in Texas.
September
11th is like that for me. The city of Pittsburgh was completely evacuated
shortly
after the second plane crashed into the South Tower. It was approximately 9:30
a.m.
I can't adequately describe the pandemonium that greeted us on the streets of
Pittsburgh
as every person searched for loved ones at overflowing bus stops, cradled cell
phones as
they briskly walked, constantly scanning the morning's blue sky for planes, and
sat in
cars waiting to get out of the parking garages. No one was allowed to remain
in a building,
store, or other means of shelter -- we all had to leave at once.
I overheard a woman in line to exit our building saying to her friend, "Do you
think
this is a fire drill?" She had no idea what had happened in New York City;
that much
was obvious. She was probably one of our hundreds of service reps tethered to a
phone all day.
Thankfully, a pregnant woman I worked with and I found a ride out. Our cars
were parked
on the top floor of a six floor garage so that wasn't an option and she was, in
her
already heightened hormonal state, becoming quite emotional as the moments
ticked past.
As her eyes welled with tears which she gently brushed away, I remembered that
my
pal Mark (much smaller than life in the photo below) worked at a hair salon
across the street. We caught him just before
he left
to give another woman a ride to the North Hills. All four of us jumped into
his Honda
and slowly merged into the formidable lines of traffic.
Mark's a performer. He did some lead singing for an alternative surf guitar
band
and he has a mind that's constantly in motion; ripping off line after hilarious
line
he applies to any given situation. He used to do this routine that he made up
one
night after drinking considerable amounts of cheap jug wine that was called
"Imagine
My Surprise!" The routine covered a lot of historical ground with tidbits such
as
Rose Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald sitting in the Dallas Book Depository
throwing back
a few scotches together and then daring each other to shoot a can off the
windowsill.
Imagine her surprise!
Anyhow, if there was one person on this green earth I'd want to be with on that
day,
it was Mark. He sang "It's the End of the World as We Know It" and other
showtunes
as we inched our way to drop off the ladies and then back to our side of town,
the East
End. Somehow, that kept the insanity of the entire situation locked inside of
me. I'll
be forever grateful to him for that three hour ride. (Thanks, Mark!)
The ride was surreal. Fire department staffs lining their drives in wait.
Nervous
glances at passengers in cars near us. Strip mall parking lots entirely empty.
Road
construction crews going about their work as if nothing had happened. The
incredible
urge I felt to connect with my family, my friends ... our best friend in New
York City.
Mark and I were certain she was alright; she was always running late. Turned
out she had
slept through the entire attack following a night with an incredible migraine
that left
her weak and craving darkness. The phone lines were out to NYC for days so I
didn't
speak with her until then. Her Mom had gotten through though. She had
actually been the
person to inform her that all hell had broken loose in her own city.
It was a day I will never, ever, forget.
I thought those were the darkest days this country might ever see. Although, in
hindsight, I wonder if that's true. It was amazing to watch the events unfold
over
the next few months. The U.S. led strikes against Afghanistan began October 7,
2001.
We still have troops there.
Osama Bin Laden has not been found. It's interesting to
look at photos of him before the war and months later. War ages people. The
first
photo was taken in 1998, I believe.
The U.S. began bombing Baghdad, Iraq, in the early morning hours of March 20,
2003.
Premise for the attack? Weapons of mass destruction (WMD's) that could be
potentially
unleashed on United States citizens or surrounding Middle Eastern countries at
any
moment.
Granted, Saddam Hussein was a tyrant that committed atrocities beyond the
imagination
upon his own people. Yet, here it is months later and still no WMD to show for
it. I think they will find some eventually; they're just buried in some sandy
oasis
100 miles from nowhere.
On December 13, 2003, Saddam Hussein was found cowering in a spider hole outside a
small shack. I guess his barber fled for the hills. Look at those eyebrows, would ya?
"Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" would have a field day with this guy. Doesn't look like he
had a chance to tidy up before the Special Forces rolled in although he did have adequate supplies
of Formula 409. Rumor has it that the Kurdish Special Forces found him first and tipped off the
Americans. Some major captures of other top Iraqi officials followed Hussein's capture which is
all good news. The attacks on coalition forces continue as the death toll mounts. The official
Defense Department figures mid-January 2004 showed the toll passed 500 for the Americans. Everyone's
hopeful that an early handover to the Iraqi governing council will occur this summer; however, there
are occasional rumors that a constitution won't be drafted by then. Should make for some interesting
developments over the next few months. The American forces won't be leaving anytime soon even though
we all continue to hope they will. My opinion is that they have to remain there as a stabilizing force for
some time -- years.
Iran, together with Iraq and North Korea, was among the nations President Bush
labelled the "axis of evil" in his State of the Union address in January 2002.
Might as well
throw Syria in the mix. The situation between Israel and Palestine is like
watching
a ping-pong match. It's almost too much to think about. The thing that really
bothers
me is that I don't know what the answer is to all of this. I do know one
thing. I read
the international news each day.
I can only be hopeful for this great world we live in. There will always be
differences of opinion and religion. There will always be fear and anger.
There will always be faith and hope. Life is a wondrous journey that we are
given to share together. Don't let life be about what happens to you. Let it
instead be about what you make happen.
Remember grace and humility. Remember to give thanks. Remember to say "I love
you." And most of all, remember to enjoy this gift of the "present." No one
knows what the future holds and the past will only tie you down with "what
if's." Live intentionally. Dream big and plan on big things happening!
Garner courage in the new dawn. Hold our fighting men and women close in your
prayers and continue to hope for peace.
Believe in World Peace ... dreams come true!
I would love to hear your comments, suggestions, and thoughts.
Last Updated: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 08:19 PM
