Confessions of a Romance Writer 9/11 For the Love

I decided that I would dedicate this Confessions to several reflections that I have had about 9/11. Everybody has got something to say about the tragic event that happened almost a decade ago (my god, has it really been that long? It feels like just yesterday!). Some people have held onto the anger and outrage that is a logical by product of having one’s homeland so violently attacked. After all we were all caught off guard. We thought too highly of ourselves to believe that mainland US could ever be compromised. We were complacent and lazy we were very comfortable in our world of satellite TV‘s, microwave ovens and Starbuck’s. Most Americans were oblivious to what was going on the other side of the world. I have heard people ask “Afghanistan? Where’s that?” Well not anymore! We all got a real quick geography lesson that day. But other lessons were taught that day that we as members of this global community still have yet to learn, and that my dearest friends is what I have been reflecting on.


Lesson one: We need to learn to love humanity, all humanity with all its flaws and shortcomings and all of its different points of view. This is the hardest lesson of all. I’m not saying that you must agree with every opinion ever thrown out into the social consciousness. What I am saying is that, we must lovingly give everyone their right to be heard and lovingly we should listen. You don’t have to agree but at least you can listen. You just might hear something worthwhile listening to. There are so many voices crying out in the night that no one listens to, and it is this lack of having one’s cries heard that causes frustration and despair and more dangerously, conflict and retaliation. We as a global community close our ears too many times! We are self absorbed and only have time for our own individual issues. But other’s issues can become our own. We can be caught unaware, just because we didn’t listen. It is an act of love to surrender some of the precious time awarded us to another. So what I am asking you to do is to love your fellow brothers and sisters on this planet and listen to them, in doing this you love yourself also.

Lesson two: We need to learn to love this amazing planet we all share. I have said this so many times, because I know it is falling on deaf ears, and hopefully one of these times, I’ll catch them right after the ear wax has just fallen out! The first responsibility ever given to humanity was to be the keeper of the garden. Well brothers and sisters we suck! We squander Earth’s natural resources. We abuse our environment. We mismanage precious valuable farmland and we disrespect the farmer. We pollute the most important element on this earth, water. Without water none of us can survive. Don’t believe me? Try living on Mars! We have upset the balance of this ecosystem and it is our responsibility to bring it back. And why has all of this happened? Well in part, because we are what we are. We are the top of the food chain. We are the most intelligent beings on this planet (He he he). We are adaptors not adaptees. We are selfish when we should be selfless. Every action that we have ever done to augment the balance of this planet has always ended up hurting our fellow man. Instead of working to improve some of the most pressing issues that affect the increasing population on this planet we are more concerned with whether or not our cell phones can get social networks! As much as you may think you can live in cyberspace, you still need to breathe air, drink water, and eat organics (food!). We should be running to drought stricken areas to help irrigate fields and dig wells instead of running to the mall. We should be looking for viable sustainable clean energy sources instead of spilling thousands of barrels of oil into our sea and not only destroying our water but massacring Earth’s wildlife.

Let’s face it. Starving thirsty people are desperate people. Hungry, thirsty people become one of two things the oppressed or the oppressors either one is sad. When they are oppressed and fight back the world is outraged. When they become the oppressors the world is outraged. Unfortunately, we cannot prevent all of the natural misfortunes that happen. But we can work together as good stewards of the divine gift that has been given to us and speedily work for solutions to the problem. By respecting and loving this great big blue marble we all share we are making this a better place for all to live. Then maybe, just maybe, there will be less oppressors and oppressed.

Lesson three: We need to learn to love our country. “WHAT?” Yes, I heard you just now. But did you hear me? There is a big difference between loving your country and being patriotic. Every American is proud of the Red, White, and Blue. But do you love this country? Are you willing to set aside your own pride and self interests to become a true American? What is a true American? A true American is someone who upholds the true spirit of the bill of rights and the constitution the way our founding fathers intended them to be, not twisting them and manipulating them for our own individual purposes. That means embracing the principle that everyone has the right to free speech and the freedom to worship their God without being oppressed. If you take away the rights of one individual religious group you are taking away your own rights. Our founding fathers intended us to all live in peace side by side with one common goal to be free. But lately, the very reason so many people fled to the new world is happening right here. I am not telling you to convert I’m asking you to live in peace. When violent acts are perpetrated against individual religious groups we are slapping our founding fathers right in the face. What was all their sacrificing for? Every organized religion has a dark side, skeletons in their closet. But when it’s your religion it‘s conveniently forgotten. Instead of forgetting we should be forgiving,…each other. As far as ethnicity goes every successive wave of peoples that has entered this country has been subjected to some sort of prejudice in one form or another. If someone is a legal citizen of this country they have the right to live in peace without being told to go back where they came from. After all, if you are not Native American you are just as much an immigrant! (Oh boy, I just pissed off a lot of people! Oh well!) To love this country you must be a lover of peace and equality. You must champion tolerance and understanding. You must be a builder of bridges not one who tears them down.

Lesson four: We must learn to love our children. But in order to love our children we must first be the best that we can be. That means to take a good look at ourselves and the way we live our lives. Children learn by example. If we harbor hate and prejudice in our hearts so will our children. If we are violent so will our children be. If we are deceitful our children will believe it’s alright to lie. If we abuse our bodies so will our children. If we steal we will be raising a nation of thieves. If we stand by and watch others suffer our children will grow up with cold hearts. If we truly love our children we must all take a good long look in the mirror and if there is anything you don’t like, change it, for the sake of our children.

Lesson five: We must learn to love ourselves. I know that has been so over worked and over played but have you ever really thought about what that means? By no means does it mean staring at yourself in the mirror for hours on end telling yourself how beautiful you are. People will only invest precious time on things that they love. How much time do you invest in you? I not talking about how long it takes to put your makeup on and do your hair. I’m not talking about how many hours you spend at the gym. I talking about how much time do you invest in your spiritual growth? How much time do you invest in self examination? How much time do you invest in giving to others? Are you continuously growing, learning, and expanding your point of view or are you stagnant? Do you settle for the path that has the least resistance instead of stretching yourself to the limit and obtaining true happiness? And do you love? Do you love with everything inside you, unconditionally and completely? You cannot be lovable unless you are a lover.

It seems there has been a lot I have been reflecting on these days, and I have decided that I could use some improvement myself. Life’s lessons are never easy and most times they can be painful to learn. But I’m going to put my best effort into setting my sights on becoming a better me and dedicate it to the memory of all those lost on 9/11. What better way to honor their memory than to make a better world and a better future so this will never happen again.

I bid you Peace and Love