The passage of time hasn’t lessened the impact of where we were then or where we are now.
Wow. Twenty five years. It’s hard to believe how swiftly time flies, yet how vivid the memories are. I remember when the Twin Towers opened in 1973. I remember the first attack in 1993 when a van full of explosives was detonated in the parking garage. I remember just over three weeks before the attacks in 2001 when — while walking thru the bridge that connected the towers — I asked, “Structures in Rome and Greece have stood for centuries. How long do you suppose these will stand?” In a short time, we’d know.
I remember being on the bus that morning. I was late for work because I’d overslept. Riding along Blvd East with NYC fully in view. Watching the first tower burn thinking it was a tragic accident. Flirting with a pretty girl and comparing our nail polish choices. Mine was silver, I don’t remember hers. Then, the second plane. This was no accident. Everything stopped. Everything changed. The bus had not made it to the Lincoln Tunnel yet, so we were turned around and driven home. Stunned. Silent.
The faces of friends and colleagues lost on that day are etched on my soul. The stories of a phone call from a friend to his young wife and the realization that he wasn’t coming home. Nothing felt so real yet so surreal as that morning. For some time after it felt as though the nation came together. We supported one another. As I would drive south to visit friends, I’d be stopped by strangers and hugged simply because of where I was from. There was a genuine need to heal in the air. I’d soon learn — we’d all soon learn — how naive that was.
Beneath that facade of goodness was a hatred toward those who resembled the ones who attacked us. Over time it slithered it’s way to the surface. Little by little, year after year that misguided hatred came to the foreground and planted stakes. Until we got to where we are now, where we’ve been for far too many years. That hatred has since turned back on ourselves.
The divide among us is sad. It’s easy to get caught up in finger pointing and name calling. I’ve found myself drifting in that direction from time to time. I try to catch myself and re-center. I try to remember the way I felt twenty five years ago. When I was numb with shock but open to affection and empathy. I honestly still feel we can find our way home as a people by concentrating on the good in the world that often gets smothered by rhetoric.
It’s not easy, but we can still fight the evil without losing ourselves in it by remembering the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have done to you. Treat others with the same levels of kindness, respect, and fairness that you would want for yourself. This is has been my personal philosophy as I’ve tried to better myself.
And the good is out there. Gravitate toward it. Learn from it. Build upon it. Although it may be difficult, now is not the time to give up. Open yourself to uncomfortable conversation. Smile. Lend a hand. Forget about labels and just be kind to one another. Be strong America. Embrace diversity. Embrace kindness. Embrace civility. It’s up to each of us to find the good. And finding it is not as hard as it seems.
Again this year I’m asking you to:
For a moment let’s forget about religions, politics, and philosophies.
For a moment let’s simply be kind, do good, and get better.
Kindness is contagious.
As I posted on my birthday, I’ll be adding to the focus of this website. While I will of course continue to feature art and music, I’ll be adding more content about charitable work, educational initiatives, and cultural exchange. True cultural exchange. The kind of stuff that shows us how to come together. I truly believe that we can do this. More importantly that we have to do this. Before all hope is lost.
Join me. Comment below your ideas on how we can fix ourselves. And remember these words:
May your strength give us strength
May your faith give us faith
May your hope give us hope
May your love give us love
– Bruce Springsteen
Imagine all the people
Livin’ life in peace
– John Lennon
Cheers!
Stephen
