September 12, 2009

Sept 11 thoughts




It's the 8th Anniversary of Sept ll. At this moment of writing I am just thinking about all the mothers who lost their children on this day 8 years ago. It is not a political thing for me. It is a mother thing - to feel the pains of loss - to feel the sadness and grief of losing a dear child for no better reason - for no other reason but for being at a wrong place and at a wrong time - because some one else had decided to do something very drastic like driving a plane or two into a target. Are all wars created to teach people a lesson? The price has been too high....



8 years ago I was staying at Grand Continental Hotel in Kuching taking part in an English Course and just before going to bed I switched on my TV screen for the last news of the day and I saw the aeroplanes ramming into the World Trade Centre.

I thought it was a new action movie. Several minutes later I called my colleagues from the Teachers' Training Centre to have a look at the screen - to confirm that there was indeed a tragedy of great magnitude. I started to call friends who might have children in New York at that time. I called home just to get some reassurance that the family is still there.

My daughter was safe in California. She was not in New York. Would any one related to us be in New York at this time?

My three other children were safe and getting ready for bed after a good day in Malaysia. Most of my friends' children were also safe.

It was 10 p.m. Sarawak time.



I would rather like to teach the world to sing....."I like to teach the world to sing...

The Coca Cola Song



And the real song from the Real New Seekers:



Dedicated to all seekers of peace.....


10 comments:

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I was in Singapore watching the news. There is a lot of conspiracy theories, and I don't know what to believe.

We were at the Twin Towers with our girls, and it so sad that they are gone. I agree with you from a mum's prospective. It is so sad, I lost a baby, and it is certainly true that the greatest grief is for an older person to farewell a younger one.

Have a good weekend.

Ah Ngao said...

the worse part are those that jumped down rather than to be toasted by the flame - a cracked world we lived in

Bengbeng said...

i still remeber the moment. I wanted to puke. I was having roti canai. I wanted to puke bcoz the customers stood up to clap their hands and applaud as if the people who died were not even human beings. there were exclamations of praises to their God

Kai Grey said...

i remember that night as well. i recall being so scared that this meant the start of a 3rd world war.. but we've come so far since then.. maybe the world is doing some things right.

Ah Ngao said...

Bengbeng: i know what you mean.remember 2004 tsunami?,Aceh's casualties were quite high.it seems God sort of punish this country where from the history,atrocities were commited.different religions sects were chopping each other's head and leaving headless bodies near the roadside - its not world war 2 then, but a modern days where people were claimed to be civilize,sane and educated.anyway,may be theres really2 nothing much we can do about but to - let them be what they are ... - sorry,no cure.

Ensurai said...

Ann
I have met in my life so many mothers who lost their young children. It is indeed a void that cannot be replaced. Every year I make a special point to watch some footage of anniversaries of tragedies like Beslan and 9ll and Sichuan Earthquake...when there is grief we are more united in love....
Hope the world will continue to do better and better. Sorry to hear about your loss.
Wishing you a good week ahead.

Ensurai said...

Ah Ngao
I saw that too...they did not have a choice then..and they tried to make a better choice - to jump! May God help them.

Ensurai said...

Bengbeng
Yes different factions cheer for reasons best known to themselves. And with all our wisdom granted by God we should commiserate with those who have been sent on another journey. Death is never easy and should not be cheered ..because we cannot explain the mysteries of life and death.

Ensurai said...

Arani
It was a frightening for all thinking mothers and families at that time. And when I returned home the whole perception of family and safety changed after 911...a tragic incident which happened so far away and yet it was a significant incident in our lives. So many us changed after that.
I view life in a very different perspective also...and so many other things..

But I agree with you...the world is trying its best to do something good.

Ensurai said...

Beng Beng and Ah Ngao

Today most of us are striving to be politically correct and to be sensitive to all the differences found in people. Hope this is going to the right direction. But sometimes we do not really have to bend backwards...all we need to be is to be full of humility and respect for those in front of us.

So being of a different ethnic group we can always indicate that we are wise enough to understand the person standing in front of us or next to us...I suppose that is being human and being humane.
Laughing at others and being spiteful is not "becoming".
God bless.

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