Yes, this is the sequel to a previous blog I wrote in January, 2020. At the time, even though I had no idea what was coming (the pandemic), I wrote about many challenges already facing us as a society. Mental health issues (depression, high anxiety, loneliness), ever-increasing suicide rates, our ‘addiction’ to technology and the ever-present “in your face” vitriol that seems to dominate social media. Sure, we can blame some of it on an ugly Presidential race, but let’s face it, there is plenty of ugly, disrespectful content on social media. So I asked the question in that January 2020 blog…. Where has our sense of human decency gone?
I also asked the question, Where were you on 9/11? I asked the question only because as much as I clearly remember that day, it was what followed 9/11 that I remember most. I wrote about how when we woke up on the morning of September 12, 2001, we were a changed people. We were resolute, ready to do anything and everything we needed to do to heal our country and to fight for our way of life in America. We stood together, as one! And yes, we were brave – we prayed. We prayed together; blacks, whites, Latinos, Asians, all faiths, all colors, all creeds, as a united people, as selfless people who genuinely cared about one another and our country.
I also suggested that maybe, just maybe, part of our being a ‘changed people’ after 9/11 was the result of us realizing that this truly is God’s world and we are NOT the ones in control. Coming to that realization, we chose to become the very best people we could be and we were changed people in the days, weeks and months that followed. We each became what I like to call our 9/12 self. So let me ask you one more question I originally asked when I wrote my blog in January…Where are those people today? Where are you today? Where are those brave, compassionate, caring Americans who embraced one another and prayed with one another despite all of our differences?
This Tuesday, November 3rd, as the greatest country in the free world, we will once again choose who will be our President and Vice President for the next four years. And guess what? No one has more power than anyone else when it comes to the election. By law and democratic design, we each get ONE vote. That’s it! That’s what you have control of! You cast your vote and then, it’s time to move forward.
Move forward? That’s right! It will be time for each of us, regardless who wins the election, to become once again our 9/12 self. Will it be easy? Probably not, but since when has it ever been easy to make a democracy work in a country as diverse as ours with over 330,000,000 people? More importantly, can it be done? Yes it can! Just like after 9/11, we need to put our selfish interests aside and come together as one united people. Once again, we need to move forward as the best people we can be and more than ever, acknowledge that this is God’s world and we are NOT the ones ultimately in control. Let’s remember who we are capable of being and become those people all over again. Start today. Be your best 9/12 Self.
