September 11, 2021

I’ve been grimly ignoring the pull to read stories about the 20th anniversary of the 9/11/2001 events. Sure, I remember where I was when I turned on the TV to watch the second tower come down in real time. I remember Peter Jennings saying, ”Oh. My. God.” But, I didn’t want to go there today. It’s been a beautiful day. I went to the Farmer’s Market, bought gorgeous fruit, took a walk at the park. And yet….

A strange malaise has hovered over me all day. I felt weepy and forlorn. Just tired, I told myself. Get over it. Go to bed early, I said. But tonight, it finally rose into my consciousness—I’m part of the collective sadness of the heinous anniversary. The day the unthinkable happened and the world entered a very dark road we still walk. For the twenty year perspective reviews all that came after. First, the initial destruction and bewilderment of the plane crashes and immediate losses of life.

But what came after was insidious and perhaps more evil than the initial event. The US embarked on aggressive wars in foreign lands against undefined enemies. We invaded Iraq on a fake quest for ”weapons of mass destruction” and chased Saddam Hussein into a hole in the ground. Then quickly executed him.

Our young men and women responded to the call to “defend freedom” to die along the hot dusty roads and villages of Iraq and Afghanistan. The war machine cranked out millions of dollars for guns, tanks, and weaponry. Faceless CEOs lapped at the American war trough. A generation of America’s finest died or came home missing limbs from ied’s and terrorized by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The recent ignoble retreat from Afghanistan insures a legacy of hardship and misery for the allies we left behind. Good luck with all that.

Excuse me if I’ve gotten just a little jaded about the kindly intention of the actions of the United States government. Pardon my skepticism at the words uttered by the powers-that-be. I’ve been through Richard Nixon, Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney, and the surreal Trump years. And sorry to say Uncle Joe Biden appears to be taking suppression and government control to even greater heights. At this point, I’m frankly pissed off, to put it delicately.

And yet, for the human race, I have hope. For despite the ugly revelations of the Old Guard, I see people striving toward mental and spiritual freedom. The Native American Water Protectors are rising up, finding their long-forgotten power. Women strain against eons of control and debasement. Racism is exposed and denounced. Climate change is kicking our butt. We’re still on a wild societal roller coaster ride. But I think we are beginning to realize we are all in this together.

We live on a small planet. What happens in a market place in China quickly fans across the globe. Social media puts us in instant contact with fellow Tik-Tokers two continents away. The basic desires of humanity for family, shelter, security and peace unites us all.

I can’t control my government, but I can embrace what is in my sphere of influence and give it my highest regard. Whether it’s through my time and energy with my family and friends, positive acts in the community or even creating something on my blog or YouTube channel to raise the collective consciousness, I’m giving it my best shot.

This world is what we make it. Let’s learn from the lessons of the last twenty years. We can do better. We can be better. I know we can.

Bright Blessings— Dana Taylor