9/11, Eight Years On

[Billy Britt]

I have seen terror rain down out of a clear September sky. Susan and I live in New York City on 9/11/2001. We heard the roar of the first airplane as it pierced the morning air on it way to destruction. We saw the smoke and fire ascend over lower Manhattan as the second plane did its worst. We watch with crowds of strangers as the towers fell interrupting thought and reason. Then in turn we comforted all we could touch as we realized that violent loss had visited our city on a grand scale.Eight years on, there is still a hole in the ground in Lower Manhattan. Eight years on, there is still a hole in my heart. But concrete and steel will one day again rise over the city, what is rising in my heart? What do we build upon our losses? Are not gain and loss opposite sides of the same coin, is not joy and sorrow minted in the same furnace?For most of my life New York City was the center of the universe, a place of imaginings, a city where dreams came alive. The song New York, New York, says, “If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere.” Like so many songs, the words are nice but what they express is totally wrong. The fact is anyone with and ounce of talent and a pound of determination can make it in New York, New York. That beautiful, opulent, depraved and feral city is not for the weak or cowardly because it is at its core a magnificent capitalist bazaar where measure for measure a person’s worth is weighed in dollars and cents. “Can’t deal with it? Keep moving, buddy you’re blocking the sidewalk.”Yet on that September morning for most New Yorkers the only thing that mattered was the ones you loved and the ones that were being lost.As the morning stretched on, a mass of people filled the streets of Manhattan, many had nowhere to go or no way to get there. Most of the people that we worked with came to our apartment on 36 Street and 3rd Avenue. As we gathered I began to cook breakfast, and make a few Bloody Marys for those that needed a stiffener. As I passed around bacon and eggs, one of our colleagues—a stoic woman of great intellect and little wit—said, “This changes everything.” At the time I thought, how silly, how short-sighted is her view of history. Nothing (short of the hand of God) changes everything. And I was right, September 11th 2001 did not change everything in the world but it did change a great many things for many people, and I am one of those many.Over the next few month and the next seven years I would lose almost everything I had hoped for or held dear. Yet, I have suffered nothing that is not common to our kind. And so it is that birth and death and loss and renewal are all a part of this caravan we call life.Eight years on, the hole in my heart continues to be filled with the love for my wife, kindness toward my neighbors, the work I am able to perform and the purpose I know is before me.Yes, I have seen death and destruction rain out of a blue September morning and I have witnessed grace and mercy reign in hearts.Is life free from the pain, oh no, life is never so. But the joy that is now is part of the pain that was then and the pain of tomorrow will be a part of the joy of today.Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

[Kevin Nye]

I was driving my 13 year old son Luke to school, and while listening to the radio yesterday (9/11), I heard the original broadcasts of the events of 9/11 as they unfolded. And, it was so heart breaking and so horrible, I could not listen to it without breaking into tears. So, I turned it off and told my son Luke; "Luke, I just can't re-live that without extreme anguish. Just remember to pray for the Families, and pray for the soldiers in Afghanistan who are seeking out those who perpetrated that event and support what happened on that Terrible Day. And, that was all I had to say about that...

God bless the Good Old USA. We are not a nation that should "apologize" for who we are. We are not a nation that has raped, pillaged, and plundered other nations. We are a benevolent Society who promotes peace and Freedom throughout this old world. Oh sure we have our "glitches", where bad men within did very bad things, BUT, as a whole, our Capitalist Way Of Life has done more to promote and DELIVER to the Common Man the highest standard of living ever! May God bless us, and may He continue to shine His Face upon us. May those throughout the World with whom we communicate continue to glean from our way of life and emulate the blessings of Liberty which awards us the highest standards of living to date...

And may the judgment of our God be the Ultimate Arbiter of these matters...

[lois gueli]

My nephew is dating a girl who's father was a NYC fire fighter. He was pulled out alive from the rubble. He was born in Ecuador and wrote a book entitled: "American by Choice".

"Each one of us is responsible to help our neighbors. After the life changing event of 9/11, I saw the worst in humanity, and I also saw the best of humanity. I choose to remember the best." - Capt. Al Fuentes * Rest in Peace FDNY 343

[John Richeson]

Wow! I know we talked about this when we visited you in Manhattan 6 months after it happened and saw ground zero ourselves. We were not happy at all. It wasn't something you cared to discuss very much and it made us depressed just going there.

I have a picture of myself in front of ground zero looking mighty sad and pissed. I was gonna post it. But after seeing the verse at the end of your post I decided to post one from a much more uplifting place we went that same day. Our "little" daughter shown in this picture 71/2 years ago is now a freshman in college. These kids hold the future in their hands and hearts. I trust they will be the ones to make a difference so that we might never see such destruction again.

Billy thanks for the awesome dinner in NYC that evening. Next time we see you and Suan it is on us. I bet this time the topics of conversation will be fun and laughter (and will probably include many names on this very site) as this tragedy slowly fades away from us all.

God bless America!