The Katywompus Journal Observing Life's Little Quirks by Diane Moody |
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Entry #54: The Human Spirit
With the third anniversary of September 11th rolling past us last weekend, I made it a point to watch several of the documentaries aired on television. Not to wallow in grief -though like you, I hope we never forget that tragic day - but simply to remember. I discovered a special on MSNBC called Witnessing: A Democracy of Photographs. To be honest, I surfed right past it the first time. It seemed a bit esoteric for my taste. But I'm an early riser and on Sunday morning, while searching for an update on Hurricane Ivan, I found the same special airing again. This time I was hooked. The program chronicled an improvised exhibition of photographs of the events surrounding the attack on the World Trade Center. Opening on September 28, 2001 in an empty gallery in the SoHo section of New York City, organizers invited anyone and everyone to contribute pictures as a "photographic testimony" in an attempt to begin the healing .Picturesfromtourists,firemen,children,andsurvivors hung side by side with those of world-renowned photographers. Row after row of these pictures hung unframed on wires strung across the walls, all capturing the human spirit on that awful day and the days that followed. We're all familiar with the images. They are burned into our memory banks as vivid as if it happened only yesterday. To this day, they continue to grip our hearts and at times, render us speechless. Many who viewed the exhibition shared their reactions. I found their comments fascinating. Most were moved by the overwhelming response of individuals -- the simple acts of kindness in the face of such unspeakable tragedy. A priest commented, "the greater the evil, the greater the generosity of spirit and hope that emerges." Another mentioned the sad reality that it took something as horrible as the attack to make people be kind to each other. "The world is a greater place when we pay attention to each other," one said. A young man added the equally sad reality that such sentiments rarely last. Now, these three years later, we know that's too true. The human spirit. Such a complicated thing, isn't it? While I was touched by the pictures, the emotions, and the responses shared on that program, they fell in sharp contrast to other realities making today's headlines. It's difficult to balance the strength and compassion of people reaching out to others in need when contrasted against the darker side of the human spirit. Consider for a moment the looters taking advantage of the hurricane damage ripping across Haiti and Jamaica. Consider the trial of Scott Peterson, accused of killing his wife and unborn child. Consider the new allegations of child molestation by Michael Jackson, the victims' parents allegedly paid millions for their silence. And perhaps worst of all, consider the recent terrorist attack on that school in Russia. Is there anything more despicable than the slaughter of innocent children? The contrast is sharp. And bottom line, it all comes down to this: there are those who are inherently good and those who are inherently bad. Still, I want to believe that for every act of evil, there are surely ten acts of goodness. Don't run the numbers. I pulled them out of the sky. But let's choose, if only for this moment, to focus on that which is good. The cargo plane loaded with nurses who flew from Tennessee to the worst hit areas of Florida. The many relief organizations working around the clock to send supplies to the thousand of victims of Charley, Frances, and Ivan. The giving hearts of volunteers who work at the Ronald McDonald House like my good friend Jill Johnson. The willing hands of those who help Habitat for Humanity build homes for those who desperately need them. The fund-raising efforts of those here in our own community to help one of our own who battles a life-threatening disease. These are our heroes. These are the true examples of the human spirit at its best. And just as we remember the firefighters and police men and women and so many others who gave everything on that dark day in September just three years ago, may we never forget those among us who exemplify the heart of America every single day. Click HERE to send Diane an email. She welcomes your comments and suggestions. She's Flying the Coop Blessed are the poor... Back to School It All Started With Eve It's Almost Here! Forget About Weapons of Mass Destruction - let’s Talk Hormones The Other "W" "If only I could..." "Put Down That Remote and Step Away From the TV!" 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