On that day, and the days immediately following, I was working as a "loaned executive" for our regional United Way. Like most everyone, my colleagues and I were broken hearted. Within a week some began beating the war drums, advocating revenge. I remember my shock when one person stated that she "hoped we kill their families." Some people stopped speaking to me when I advocated for peace and reflection; when I posted a quote by Dr. King on my office door, "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." We had such an opportunity in those first few days of kindness to move in another direction, but collectively, we did not take it. I think every day, every minute, the opportunity presents itself again. May we choose it. Courage my dears.
Marianne, I vividly recall that day. In the evening, as rush-hour traffic was receding, my mother, with pancreatic cancer, asked that I and my beloved sister, the three of us, stand roadside with candles in hand as motorists kindly honked their support in front of our home.
We were hopeful our country was finally uniting! But as you well explained, as the months passed, the cultural blabbering reversed and got even worse!
Today, in memory, of my sis and mom, I am dedicating my time left on Earth to help generate "teachable moments"! An ongoing education strategy, as proposed by many, is starting to be surface on a global scale. It must and will turn the tide!
My love to you Marianne and all herein, who share this sacred journey together on Earth as one!
Thank you Marianne...insightful and moving... I too, remember where I was that day and the collective pain we all felt. And even more vividly I remember what you call the curtain coming down on a sunlit room as the feeling of unity and a country coming together flipped early on along the way into a country unwilling to take a look at itself and instead, becoming more divided and resorting to "military madness." I remember how it became blasphemous to dare to criticize George Bush, the puppet madman himself as his approval rating touched into the 90's. I remember being made to feel like we were less than American if we didn't plant American flags on our lawns, our cars and, as one comedian offered, the inside of our eyelids. It appears to me that 9/11 might have been a watershed moment, not in our country coming together but in it coming apart. I believe the greatest honor we could give to those who perished on 9/11 and their families is if we could recapture that lost moment and raise the curtain and let the sunlight in... And thank you for your continued leadership and your always being a way shower for those of us who are committed to making that happen.
Thank you! I waited to read your post until I felt the 9/11 agitation left me. It’s like reliving all the feelings every year. Your lovely friend. My condolences to you. I couldn’t watch any of the televised coverage. I had my 9/11 experience and remember the rage I felt at the Bush administration at the time. Months before, when he first took office, there had been a mishap with China when our spy plane in the South China Sea caused a nearby
Chinese military jet to crash. It was right before a big sale of advanced US anti-missile and air defense systems to Taiwan. Training for some of that advance technology we were selling to Taiwan was in New Jersey and it claimed to have eyes on the entire East Coast detecting off-course airlines. When I watched on TV, the horror of first one, then a second jet plowing into the
WTC, I was shocked and sad and horrified, all at the same time. Then it kept happening - two more planes down - at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. I worked with Canadians in the Pacific Northwest then and remember how it was business as usual that day. We went ahead with a sales meeting about a week later in B.C. And it took hours to cross the border back to the states. My boss in the months following told me, “I love George Bush,” even though he was in the U.S. on a green card. I left that job the following spring after things got ugly in travel, which was a substantial piece of my itinerary each year. I noticed the luggage inspection machines were in the airports almost immediately. Before that there was no such animal. But magically they were designed, manufactured, distributed and installed in a couple weeks after 9/11. There were a lot of experts who came forward with doubts concerning the accepted storyline about the 9/11 attack. They were dismissed as conspiracy theories. The White House story line was well in place within a couple days after the towers fell and recovery at Ground Zero was just getting underway. Then, suddenly, the rubble was removed. Time to move on. Nothing to see here folks, keep walking. When the pre-emptive strikes started on Afghanistan and Iraq and Bush announced his theory about the “Axis of Evil,” and the beginning of his War on Terrorism, I knew that the only true thing he ever said was, “Everything’s different now.” And when he called out with his megaphone after a first responder at Ground Zero said, “We can’t hear you,” Bush said, “ I can hear you.” He just couldn’t stop lying. He never heard them then and certainly not now after many are gone or sick with illnesses caused by the toxic site. And even now he wants to divert attention away from that day and the questions all the survivors have by talking about how awful the domestic terrorists are. Yes, George, takes one to know one. Greed has many faces. You offer a clarity, Marianne, and your meditations each day are comforting as we navigate together a sea of unknowns. I pray for a lighter load for our children and grandchildren, many tainted for life with the ongoing visuals of the planes, the towers, the smoke and the falling bodies.
Thank you for this. I’ve shared to my friends. My mind could not get around invading Iraq - fear opened the door for Bush and cohorts to fulfill their agendas.
So sorry you lost a good friend. If I am correct she had been married to Anthony Perkins. I think about her when we take that morning American flight to see our son in the music business in LA. She seemed like a lovely person.
So Sad. Thankyou for the story about 9/11. I feel more empathy for those who still grief and understanding now of how it was handled. Prayers for you all that suffered and still are.
Someone sent me this interesting alternative perspective on the terror event and " covid19" and the current state of unconsciousness we see in the world.
On the totalitarianism, regression and stagnation we see.
On that day, and the days immediately following, I was working as a "loaned executive" for our regional United Way. Like most everyone, my colleagues and I were broken hearted. Within a week some began beating the war drums, advocating revenge. I remember my shock when one person stated that she "hoped we kill their families." Some people stopped speaking to me when I advocated for peace and reflection; when I posted a quote by Dr. King on my office door, "Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." We had such an opportunity in those first few days of kindness to move in another direction, but collectively, we did not take it. I think every day, every minute, the opportunity presents itself again. May we choose it. Courage my dears.
As more truth is revealed, I pray for a future with more love & peace. 🙏🏽
Marianne, I vividly recall that day. In the evening, as rush-hour traffic was receding, my mother, with pancreatic cancer, asked that I and my beloved sister, the three of us, stand roadside with candles in hand as motorists kindly honked their support in front of our home.
We were hopeful our country was finally uniting! But as you well explained, as the months passed, the cultural blabbering reversed and got even worse!
Today, in memory, of my sis and mom, I am dedicating my time left on Earth to help generate "teachable moments"! An ongoing education strategy, as proposed by many, is starting to be surface on a global scale. It must and will turn the tide!
My love to you Marianne and all herein, who share this sacred journey together on Earth as one!
Yes, Peace is the way and all we need is Love ✌🏿💖
Thank you Marianne...insightful and moving... I too, remember where I was that day and the collective pain we all felt. And even more vividly I remember what you call the curtain coming down on a sunlit room as the feeling of unity and a country coming together flipped early on along the way into a country unwilling to take a look at itself and instead, becoming more divided and resorting to "military madness." I remember how it became blasphemous to dare to criticize George Bush, the puppet madman himself as his approval rating touched into the 90's. I remember being made to feel like we were less than American if we didn't plant American flags on our lawns, our cars and, as one comedian offered, the inside of our eyelids. It appears to me that 9/11 might have been a watershed moment, not in our country coming together but in it coming apart. I believe the greatest honor we could give to those who perished on 9/11 and their families is if we could recapture that lost moment and raise the curtain and let the sunlight in... And thank you for your continued leadership and your always being a way shower for those of us who are committed to making that happen.
Thank you! I waited to read your post until I felt the 9/11 agitation left me. It’s like reliving all the feelings every year. Your lovely friend. My condolences to you. I couldn’t watch any of the televised coverage. I had my 9/11 experience and remember the rage I felt at the Bush administration at the time. Months before, when he first took office, there had been a mishap with China when our spy plane in the South China Sea caused a nearby
Chinese military jet to crash. It was right before a big sale of advanced US anti-missile and air defense systems to Taiwan. Training for some of that advance technology we were selling to Taiwan was in New Jersey and it claimed to have eyes on the entire East Coast detecting off-course airlines. When I watched on TV, the horror of first one, then a second jet plowing into the
WTC, I was shocked and sad and horrified, all at the same time. Then it kept happening - two more planes down - at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania. I worked with Canadians in the Pacific Northwest then and remember how it was business as usual that day. We went ahead with a sales meeting about a week later in B.C. And it took hours to cross the border back to the states. My boss in the months following told me, “I love George Bush,” even though he was in the U.S. on a green card. I left that job the following spring after things got ugly in travel, which was a substantial piece of my itinerary each year. I noticed the luggage inspection machines were in the airports almost immediately. Before that there was no such animal. But magically they were designed, manufactured, distributed and installed in a couple weeks after 9/11. There were a lot of experts who came forward with doubts concerning the accepted storyline about the 9/11 attack. They were dismissed as conspiracy theories. The White House story line was well in place within a couple days after the towers fell and recovery at Ground Zero was just getting underway. Then, suddenly, the rubble was removed. Time to move on. Nothing to see here folks, keep walking. When the pre-emptive strikes started on Afghanistan and Iraq and Bush announced his theory about the “Axis of Evil,” and the beginning of his War on Terrorism, I knew that the only true thing he ever said was, “Everything’s different now.” And when he called out with his megaphone after a first responder at Ground Zero said, “We can’t hear you,” Bush said, “ I can hear you.” He just couldn’t stop lying. He never heard them then and certainly not now after many are gone or sick with illnesses caused by the toxic site. And even now he wants to divert attention away from that day and the questions all the survivors have by talking about how awful the domestic terrorists are. Yes, George, takes one to know one. Greed has many faces. You offer a clarity, Marianne, and your meditations each day are comforting as we navigate together a sea of unknowns. I pray for a lighter load for our children and grandchildren, many tainted for life with the ongoing visuals of the planes, the towers, the smoke and the falling bodies.
Thank you for this. I’ve shared to my friends. My mind could not get around invading Iraq - fear opened the door for Bush and cohorts to fulfill their agendas.
So sorry you lost a good friend. If I am correct she had been married to Anthony Perkins. I think about her when we take that morning American flight to see our son in the music business in LA. She seemed like a lovely person.
So Sad. Thankyou for the story about 9/11. I feel more empathy for those who still grief and understanding now of how it was handled. Prayers for you all that suffered and still are.
💗
Someone sent me this interesting alternative perspective on the terror event and " covid19" and the current state of unconsciousness we see in the world.
On the totalitarianism, regression and stagnation we see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09maaUaRT4M
The problem is unconsciousness .
The solution is awareness.