No way to process 9/11

I don't yet know how to process loss.

A friend sent me the above cartoon and asked me which philosophy I thought I followed, and I choose Calvin's philosophy (#4) simply because it was convoluted and wanted to see myself as complex. My friend saw me as a pragmatist (#1) - and that might categorize how I look at loss better than my own philosophical classification.

I think of loss and I think of what it is good for or how it changes us for the better. Don't see it? It's not good to take things for granted, and loss often forces us to reflect on how we took things for granted. Looking at death can also cause us to look at life and how we are living it. A passage from Seven Habits for Highly Effective People, which I read early in high school, had me envision my own end (try not to be morbid) and think of what I'd like people to say at my funeral. Thinking of where you want to be at the end of your days is a powerful motivator to live with integrity. Death can lead us to the positive side of life in such a way.

I approach the anniversary of 9/11 for the first real time. Sure, certain thoughts come to mind whenever the digital clock face reads 9:11 or the number 911 appears, but this year I'm thinking of how this anniversary, or more specifically this historic event, can change us for the better. I think that makes me practical (or is it idealist? I don't know).

In any case, I'm still not sure how to process this event that occurs in a much larger global timeline of existence.

I think the journey lies in the understanding of others, in recognizing our needs and those of others, and in the interface of what we can accomplish when we come together.

Harmony. Synergy. Growth. Something like that. :)


Anniversary sites that unfortunately largely look backwards rather than forwards:
September 11 Digital Archive

• 9/11 Anniversary Resources - religious resources
• September 11th Anniversary - CBS
• September 11: A Nation Remembers - Time
• September 11: Remembered in Cartoons ( previous, 2003)
  

I hope for that you find that challenges like this anniversary represent something positive. A former Scoutmaster used to say, "There are no such things as challenges, just opportunities for improvement." Look at how we can move forward and then take that step.

When the earthquake struck Pakistan on October 8, 2006, it was the superintendent that got me to think of the opportunity that we had laid before our school. The earthquake was tragic at took two students and so many other lives (the official government death toll was apparently 73,276), but we took advantage of this 'challenge' to unite our school, our community, our nation, and many disparate individuals/groups under one cause to save lives and restore livelihood to these people of Pakistan.

Our school still works on this monumental project in collecting funds and dispersing aid - currently to rebuild a school and restore education to one community in Kashmir.

I think 9/11 brings memories of loss that I find difficult to process - but channeling my energy (i.e. sadness, frustration, anger, remorse) into something productive (i.e. writing, sharing, telling people about another slice of the world) works for me.