That morning in 2001 will go down in history as being a morning that truly changed the world. Despite the horror of the events of that day, it was also a day of world solidarity, as people of all races and creeds came together to stand in awe and disbelief at the magnitude of what had occurred. But this event was much more than the death of a relative handful of people and the destruction of mere bricks and mortar.
As with any disaster, there is always a spark; a light that never goes out. That light is the human spirit. We saw it during Hitler’s bombing raids on London in WWII, we saw it after the 2004 tsunami, and we saw it after the collapse of the World Trade Center. And we will continue to see it again and again.
This light continues to glow in hospitals around the world, in charity and welfare shelters, in homes in your very street. Anywhere where people are challenged in adversity, the light of human endurance is always shining.
What did we learn from 9-11 and numerous other disasters that pepper the history of humanity? Well, sociologists and political scientists will tell us lots of things, but what can we as individuals gain from watching and hearing about such horrors?
We can get our priorities straight. Events such as 9-11 and other catastrophes can force us to cut through the crap and clutter of our lives and get to the core of what is important and real. We don’t need a third plasma. Give the money to a charity. We love our children. Tell them. We hate our high paid job and want to become an artisan. Do it. We think nobody really cares. We see that caring in action on our television screens as rescue workers place their lives in jeopardy to save one other person.
Events like these, though painful, are also powerful agents of change in our personal world. We can use them to propel us to greater things, and get out of the rut we presently reside in.
There’s nothing safe about this life, as Neil Finn says. Use that knowledge as a catalyst to embrace your life. The only life you have.
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