Monday, September 11, 2006
Five Years Later...........
It was a true fall morning here in Minnesota. The sky was somewhat overcast , the air was crisp, cool (50 degrees.) and refreshing to breath in. I had thought that because the summer vacation and cabin season is pretty much over, and with school here in full swing that there'd be more traffic this morning than I'd seen earlier during the summer, and I wasn't disappointed. But it was manageable, and I arrived at work at my usual time. I parked the car, switched it off, and took a moment to reflect on life in general, and this day in particular. I rolled the window down and sat, and listened to the sounds of nature. The sounds of birds in the trees. The sound of air moving through the trees. After meditating for a few more minutes, I started my walk to the front door, but, not quite ready to begin the day yet, my pace was slower than usual, so I could pull more of the fresh, crisp air into my lungs, look at the trees and plants swaying in the light breeze, and enjoy being outside. A few of the trees are beginning to show the early signs of getting ready to go into their winter hibernation, with slightly browned edges on the leaves.
What got me to slow down was my reflection on events this day 5 years ago. I'll avoid politics here, as everyone's mind is pretty much made up, and nothing I could say would change things. But people do need to remember, and reflect upon the lives that were snuffed out 5 years ago today. We also need to reflect and remember all the fine brave people who've given their lives in the time since. None of them will ever have another chance to enjoy the morning asI did today.
I implore you to do just that, every chance you get. Many of the people that morning on the East coast probably rushed into work as usual, thinking about a million different things. That's the way we are in this society. Always rushing around, trying to get to the next meeting, or destination or whatever the hell we're trying to get to, never stopping for a minute to pause, take in our beautiful world and enjoy it. And we don't appreciate it until it's too late, and we're either dead, or deathly ill, and rue the days we rushed about and didn't enjoy any of these simple things.
I propose that instead of using this day, September 11th as a day to fume, fulminate, and nurture feelings of frustration anger and profound sadness, we honor the dead by taking this day to reflect on our gift of life. To take a few minutes and enjoy the beauty and peace in nature. To look at the face of a loved one and enoy the time spent with that loved one. To enjoy, and utilize to the fullest those things that we other wise daily take for granted. If the ones lost on that day, and lost since then are looking down at us now, I've a feeling that's what they'd want to say to us. "Use your time wisely. Don't waste it!"
What got me to slow down was my reflection on events this day 5 years ago. I'll avoid politics here, as everyone's mind is pretty much made up, and nothing I could say would change things. But people do need to remember, and reflect upon the lives that were snuffed out 5 years ago today. We also need to reflect and remember all the fine brave people who've given their lives in the time since. None of them will ever have another chance to enjoy the morning asI did today.
I implore you to do just that, every chance you get. Many of the people that morning on the East coast probably rushed into work as usual, thinking about a million different things. That's the way we are in this society. Always rushing around, trying to get to the next meeting, or destination or whatever the hell we're trying to get to, never stopping for a minute to pause, take in our beautiful world and enjoy it. And we don't appreciate it until it's too late, and we're either dead, or deathly ill, and rue the days we rushed about and didn't enjoy any of these simple things.
I propose that instead of using this day, September 11th as a day to fume, fulminate, and nurture feelings of frustration anger and profound sadness, we honor the dead by taking this day to reflect on our gift of life. To take a few minutes and enjoy the beauty and peace in nature. To look at the face of a loved one and enoy the time spent with that loved one. To enjoy, and utilize to the fullest those things that we other wise daily take for granted. If the ones lost on that day, and lost since then are looking down at us now, I've a feeling that's what they'd want to say to us. "Use your time wisely. Don't waste it!"
