• covered in dust

  9/11 Again, Again

[Photo: Edward Keating/New York Times]

Where we you, when they raised the price of freedom?
Where were you when our family disappeared?
Are you glad you weren’t there?
Did you lose a friend that day?
Are you as changed today as you felt on that Tuesday or did you change your mind?
We all changed our minds, but did it last?
Are the changes we now live with making our lives safer, better?
Will we need to change more and are we willing to make the toughest changes?
Do you like taking off your shoes at the airport and not carrying water or shampoo?
Is that worth being safer in the air?
Are we?
What cost Freedom?
What price Liberty?
We are willing to let others die in far away places, that we’ll never see--Fallujah and Takrit--so why do we whine about having our library records examined?
And...Do you know that to date NO ONE has had their library habits looked into by the government? (This according to a study be Sen. Diane Feinstein, Democrat, CA.)
Do you know that the "bad guys" have hated us forever? Did you know they called President Clinton “Satan”?
(All he did was blow up their aspirin factory.)
What have YOU done since 9/11, 2001?
What will you do?
Have you changed?

[Photo: Shannon Stapleton/Rueters]

Watching TV that morning, I saw a man in a suit and tie, carrying his briefcase, come out of the great fog that was the dust storm of the fallen Towers. He walk right up to a news crew and said, “There’s a reason why my life was spared and I’m going to spend the rest of my life trying to find that reason.”
Did you hear him?
Do you know the reason he was spared?

Are you aware that the reason for his life has been the same since the day he was born.
So, too, there’s a reason you were born--did you know that?
There’s a contribution your life can make. Are you ready to make that commitment?
Are you ready to be a contribution?
Will it take an attack on your life to get your attention ?
Are you aware that whatever your circumstances, you are NOT covered in dust?
What, then, will your contribution be?
You can make a small change today and a bit more tomorrow.
Did you know that if you pick one area of your life to expand on, to improve on, just 1 % a day, that in 70 days you will be twice as good as you are now?
If you haven't started the change you wanted to make, you can start now. You know it's only too late if you don't start today?

[Photo: Alex Fuchs/AFP] 

Did you know it took three months to completely extinguish the fires at Ground Zero?
Did you know they never even discussed not finishing the job?
Can you, today, brush off the dust on your imagination and start making your contribution?

Did you know the rest of us need you to that--now?

To see more photos like these, visit LIFE GOES ON:9/11 on line photo essay.

McNair

    {Originally posted here on Tea With McNair, September 2006}

Comments

[Jim Tice]

I dropped in this morning to see if you had something encouraging to say as I started my work day. Thanks McNair for a good reminder that rings with truth not just in September.

[Texmom]

This is kind of a different slant on 9-11, and I think it's wonderfully written and thought provoking. Thanks for the wake up call:)

[Len]

Thank you. Good reminders that we should never forget. We lived in CT then and it greatly affected our town because of all the commuters and most of us felt like honorary New Yorkers anyways. My wife had to get out of the house today as she watched the news with all the reminders because she couldn't stop crying.

[Erin]

McNair --

Thanks for "covered in dust". As a New Yorker who went through the 9/11 attacks, my tendency has been to stay away from most writings about 9/11, moslty b/c I can't find any real connection with them viscerally or b/c I find that the writing veers towards trying to answer the "why's" of it all.

Personally, I think "why" is a very persecuting question. I prefer to just deal with what is.

I've read your blog on and off, very infrequentely, over the past several years. I found your blog a la SARK and it's inspired me to start "blogging again". I posted a new blog today on my MySpace page -- the first one in years.

Anyways, I appreciated your "covered in dust" blog post.

Erin :)
http://www.myspace.com/speakrp

[Elizabeth]

Very thought provoking and a beautiful positive memorial. I loved the closing. We often do not ponder the effect our purpose has on others or all that is lost when we do not pursue it.

[SOPHIE]

Be still, my beating heart

[coach sale]

summer beauty is night most. No doubt beautiful , jet-black bright dark moonlit night night, also has uncounted firefly sons dance trippingly. Be also having one two fireflies son in night, be flashing with the dim gleam in flying , this scene even if being a fine drizzle's be charming.