September 11 was always a happy and special day in our family.
It was the day in 1916 that our mom was born.
Mom cranked out six children, Dad has two more, and the eight of us have produced more than 45 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Needless to say, on September 11 Mom gets lots of calls and plenty of love. In every way, she is the Matriarch of our family that now spans four generations.
I was about to pick up the phone to wish her a Happy 85th when Adam's mom Anita called me.
"Turn on the TV. Something's happening at the Trade Center."
"Is it bad?" I asked. "Yes, very" she said.
That was just before 9am. Mom's birthday will never be the same again.
Yesterday we marked one month since the world went crazy. Time may heal the pain and agony, but it can never erase the vivid images seared in our minds forever.
Like most Americans, I am still reeling 30 days later. Whatever you were doing, planning or pursuing on September 11 takes on a different meaning as we reflect back 30 days later. and look forward to a very different future.
Life is unpredictable. Livelihood is uncertain. Living with the specter of terror and war casts a larger shadow than the Twin Towers did over lower Manhattan.
Plenty has been written and a lot more will be written. Language differentiates us from all other species. Words enable us to provide context and give meaning to what happened. Communication is our special way to express how we feel and what we think, and keeps us connected to one another.
Words are a big part of my life and livelihood. I speak them and write them for a living. For the past 30 days, I have been writing thousands of words for hours on end, yet in a real way I find myself at a complete loss for words.
Are there any words that can truly and adequately reflect the pain and agony, the utter disbelief and horror of 9/11?
Adam and I went down to Ground Zero two weeks ago. It is a profoundly moving and disturbing experience to see the devastation.
To witness first hand what people can do to in the name of God leaves us solemn and speechless. It literally takes your breath away. It's beyond belief that a handful of fanatics can hit us so hard and bring our entire country to its collective knees, gasping for air. They have altered life for everyone, everywhere around the world.
I'm an idealist at heart. I really believed we would see inroads to establishing lasting world peace in my lifetime. Most Americans feel that way. Now I wonder if I'll ever have another peaceful night's sleep.
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Turning Inward
For the majority of us the past 30 days have been spent in deep reflection. We ask why, how and what's it all for? We can't explain it to our children, because we don't understand it all that well ourselves. What do you say when the sanctity of human life no longer matters?
We are redefining our priorities in life, re-evaluating livelihood and rethinking how we make a living. In a single morning, success, celebrity, prestige, power, money and material things were all brought into shocking perspective. How can we ever be the same again? What really matters, and what we value are changed, forever.
For 200,000 people let go from work in the past month, they are wondering what's next for them, financially and economically.
For the more than 6,000 families who lost someone in this attack, and the tens of thousands of people they leave behind, it's been a time of unspeakable grief. Now they have to face a future without their loved ones.
For those of us who know someone who perished, it's a haunting reminder of how precious every moment is, and how nothing is guaranteed. Life is built on a slender thread. We always knew that intellectually. Now, we know at a very deep intrinsic level that life itself is most precious, and everything else falls somewhere behind in importance and value.
Who wouldn't give up all their worldly assets and material things to have their loved ones back?
Somehow we must move on and rebuild our lives, put attention back on livelihood and in the process, keep on making a living. We owe that to ourselves, we owe that to those who lost their lives, and we owe it to those who gave their lives. We owe it to our children and our grandchildren's children.
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What's Next?
I will get back to writing Life Skills for Business, Business Skills for Life very soon. Today more than ever before, we must develop our life and business skills if we are to rebuild our nation, and rededicate ourselves to finding a path to a peaceful world.
As part the process of healing, it is vital to talk, to share and to do what we can to make sense of it all. It's also important to get back to livelihood and making a living.
For many people, livelihood and living have come to a grinding halt. For most of us, they have slowed down. For all of us, there is more uncertainty about the future than ever before.
Now, more than ever, we need a boost of SELF esteem, confidence and belief in who we are, what we do and our importance in the greater scheme of things. We must jump start business and commerce. For many companies, sales are down, morale is low and hope is being tested. In a time like this, survival and security move to the top of the priority list. Luxury and frivolity seem a bit trivial in light of the bigger issues we face.
What can you do? What can I do? What can we do?
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