Respond, Recover, Return
Respond
Numerous websites have emerged, like spontaneous generation, in response to the events of September 11, and to the various events which preceded that day (embassy bombings, the original WTC bombing, the Navy Ship attack, and so forth).
Fund-raising and financial outreach sites are in abundance. This is a good thing, and one can only hope that the money goes to good use; that only a bare and necessary minimum goes toward administrative costs, and that little or none goes toward bullshit.
Remembrance sites are also popping up all over. Some are heart-wrenching, some are even angry bordering on mean-spirited. Most are a means to express an overwhelming sense of emotion. Those emotions are often difficult to channel, to harness, to express.
One such interesting site is Remember:World At War [1]. It seems well worth a link. So I suggest you check it out. If you have a blog or a site, you can link to it. Like so:
[1]
Recover
New York is in a state of recovery. I was very sad to learn that our friends with their German Touring Youth Group chose to cancel this year's Fall visit. This is a group comprised primarily of teenagers and young adults. They hail from a town near Stuttgardt, and always have a jam-packed agenda which gives them a thorough and exciting New York experience. Fear and apprehension did in what would have been the late October trip. No Greenwich Village Halloween Parade, NYC Night Court, Abyssinian Church, Apollo Theatre Amateur Night, Walks through Chinatown and Alphabet City, or even the trip to Grimaldi's Pizza just below the Brooklyn Bridge for the group this time. Susan and I have been their New York connection, and we will miss them. We look forward to their return, and hope their usual Spring trip will be a return to some city-visiting normalcy.
On the topic of recovery..... My ear infection rages on. The dizziness (the doctor calls it "disequalibrium") keeps coming and going. The low-grade persistent headache makes itself known at repeated inervals throughout the day and night. And the medicine apparently turns my stomach into jello. Hey, it could be worse. It could be Anthrax, and that would mean a press conference on top of the symptoms. Yecch!
The Yankees have been recovering from that two-in-a-row loss to the Athletics. They seem to have resumed their old selves. Manager Joe Torre has the magic touch, he just knows when to do what. They took the first game of the ALCS this evening. I am eager to see tomorrow's game. Hopefully the dizziness, headache, and jello-stomach will take a breather during the course of the game.
Yankee fans have that feeling of a little extra something, a little more meaning to the whole thing this year, as a part of the recovery from the attack. There's that NYC Cop with the amazing baritone who sings the anthem and God Bless America. There's a woman cop, too, with a great voice, who sings before some of the games. That domesticated American Eagle named Challenger flies in to the pitcher's mound at the very end of The Star Spangled Banner and it is always a moving moment.
I had thought this might be the year that the Teams of Destiny would turn out to be The Phillies and The Twins. But Philly is out of it, the Twins are not only gone, but their manager of 15 years, Tom Kelly, announced his retirement after the season came to a close. Kelly was a credit to the game, a teacher, beloved by most. He will be missed.
The Twins, it would appear, will have to recover from their loss of what seemed like a run for the pennant.
Return
In some ways we are following the advice of New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani: that we return to as close to normal as possible. Go about our lives. Don't let these events take any more from us than what has already transpired. Get back to normal.
On Saturday Night Live to open the season his words were powerful and true: "Our hearts are broken, but they're still beating." That says it all.
Still beating, and that means we can return to our routines, our reality, our way of life as best we can given the circumstances.
My own little way of attempting to return will be more humor and levity appearing once again in this space. It will not always be so easy, as there is still a cloud hovering, in both real terms and as a metaphor.
The human spirit must prevail. Scarred, jarred, wounded, suffering loss, life goes on for all lucky enough to continue to enjoy our beating hearts. Living well being the best revenge, we must, then live life to the fullest.
Susan and I have some friends from England coming in this weekend for a short visit to the Big Apple. We will try to show them a great time. It is time to return to the business of having some pleasure and enjoyment.
The big picture has more darkness, for sure, yet the horizon ever expands. That expansion having not been taken away, we press onward.