9 Years Old: 9/11 Changes

"It's the economy stupid." "It's the jobs stupid." "It's the Democrats, Republicans, Liberals, Conservatives, Cuba."

"It's Communism." "It's Socialism." "It's Capitalism." "It's Castro, Chavez, Obama, Bush, Americans."

"It's the Chinese." "It's the Russians." "It's the Jews, Muslims, Christians, Whites, Blacks, Mexicans, Japanese."

"It's Men, Women, Teens." "It's the generation gap, gen X-ers and Y's, Millenials and Boomers."

"It's Beethoven, the British Invasion" "It's all the shaking and gyrating." "It's not enough shaking and baking." "It's Rock, Rap."

"It's Alcohol, Cigarettes, Drugs, Guns, Over/Underpopulation." "It's the Axis Evil, Hopelessness, Fear."

"It's interest rates, inflation, over spending, over saving, McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Pepsi and the snack food industry."

"It's the Auto Industry." "It's Outsourcing, Offshoring, Protectionism, Globalization, the Dollar, Euro, Yen, Yuan, Pound, Peso exchange."

"It's Fat Cats with deep pockets." "It's Welfare recipients with no pockets." "It's Wall Street." "It's Main Street." "It's the A/Bi/Hetero/Homo/Transsexuals." "It's Walmart."

"It's the NRA, ACLU." "It's the Unions." "It's not enough Unions." "It's the Schools."

"It's deforestation, global warming and not global warming." "It's the Oil Industry." "It's the Fashion Industry." "It's the Fed."

"It's taxing too much." "It's not taxing enough." "It's the City Folk, Country Folk, Village People."

"It the Southern states." "It's the Northern states." "It's the Midwest." "It's California, Arizona,Washington." "It's Hollywood, NASA, the Pentagon."

"It's too much Surplus, too much Deficit." "It's the Great Depression, Global Recession."

"It's the Housing Bubble." "It's the Dot-com Bubble." "It's the Asian Contagion." "It's the Greek Contagion." "It's the Politicians, Economists, Businessmen, Lobbyists." "It's the Pharmaceutical Industry." "It's TV."

"It's the Internet." "It's Porn." "It's Video Games." "It's Gambling." "It's Sex and the Media."

"It's too much sugar and candy." "It's Mad Cow Disease." "It's Swine Flu." "It's Bird Flu." "It's the Plague." "It's Yellow Fever, HIV/AIDS." "It's West Nile Virus." "It's DNA."

"It's NOT ME, it's YOU!" "It's not YOU, it's ME!" "It's not US it's them!" "IT'S BIG FOOT." "IT'S ALIENS." "IT'S LEPROSY!!!" "IT's...

There are so many IT's we can choose from to make excuses, sense of or to lay blame for our and others' actions. On what is happening at home and all around the world. In that no one country, people or group is alone. What an astute and growing population there is globally in the art of finger pointing. That it is being past down generations like a precious heirloom should move us inside from ORANGE to RED ALERT. One can only imagine how our human race may appear in the sight of LIFE beyond the parameters of our solar system. God, Deity, Creator, etc. The Alert Systems some may have in place. Perhaps something like this...

The Human Security Alert System

It's hard to blog about New York City and not make some commentary about the September, 11, 2001 attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. How once upon a time you road the trains and the only security you expected to see was your Finest NYPD blues. The shock to see Armed forces in camouflaged fatigues joining their league underground. The initial shock, comfort and discomfort to see so many armed and ready. And joining the ranks of service dogs for the blind and disabled, the dogs on duty to sniff for bombs and collateral materials. Thinking that some day the heightened alert would end and their services would no longer be needed. At some point I think most NY'ers came to the realization that our reality was forever changed. This it the New, New York. Troops, bag checks and all.

The amount of hatred, bitterness, resentment, violence and oppression people have and exert towards others all around the world is astounding. That it continues to be perpetuated among generations alarming. Have we learned nothing from these tragic events? The commonalities we all share? The life forces that bind us? Is there no longer enough sense of humanity to turn the bad tide around or shore up against it?

December 21, 2012 the Mayan's predict will be the end of the world as we know it. Some say with the increase in natural disasters year over year some major cataclysmic event will unfold, others that the end is the end of an age bringing forth another. An awakening of human consciousness. Perhaps a rebirth. A joining of all across the world as ONE PEOPLE. We are after all, ALL related? We all start life off the same. A small,  blastocyst, unfolding. Cells differentiating to form inner organs, frame, nervous system brain and flesh. We are touched by the same universal events of life, birth of a child, unions by individuals, death. Cause for joy, celebration, tears.

Blastocyst

There are many events throughout New York City held in remembrance of 9/11 filled with speeches, quiet moments for reflection, interfaith prayers and music. From Memorial Floating Lanterns Ceremony to Tribute of Lights.

It is a happy-sad day. So many of us have or know someone who has the story to tell of how a lost wallet or keys or some other delay that morning is the reason the breathe of life still rises within, or of others who died or are sick today because they were exposed to contagions in the air. We must use remembrances as opportunities to build bridges, fill the gaps that divide humankind, with love and compassion, patience and understanding. Tolerance. Otherwise it is all for naught.

Next year it will be a decade gone by since the terrorist attacks. Seize the day, the opportunity to reach out to your neighbors to learn about another culture, faith, philosophy, way of life. Seek out to engage in random acts of kindness indiscriminately each and every day. Set out to be a brick in the foundation of a humanity united across divides and let's see the difference all can make in the coming year. 9/11 Changes.

Today I woke up listening to songs filled with messages of hope, calls for peace and reflection. John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance," is beautiful in its simplicity of word, poignant in message as heartfelt today as when it was recorded in the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal 41 years ago.