Six years ago today, I was at chatting with Cora on the phone in the evening at home as usual. Suddenly, my sister Allison called me on a separate line and told me to turn on the TV. I didn’t take what she said seriously and thought that it must be some music program on TV that my sister thought that I would be interested. So, I simply said: ‘ok, ok, I will check that out later…’ Then, around 11pm, I turned the TV on, ‘Holy Sxxx!’ New York was under attack! And the the Pentagon, etc…. I was hooked to the tube till 2 a.m. and can’t stop checking the news the next morning, days and weeks after…. Though, I don’t personally know anyone who died on that day (thank God), my college roommate, Fernando, who is visual-impaired, was on the way to work by subway that morning, and was grabbed by other folks to walk across Brooklyn Bridge later to go home to meet his wife. He was very emotional and hugged his wife when they met. I found out all of this later certainly. For many folks, particular those who had been in the U.S., been in NYC, or folks like me who lived there for a long time and know people there. That’s day that you will never forget.
Whenever tragedy hit, regardless it’s as huge as 9/11 or something personal, they are key drivers of change. For those who vanish, they just gone…..for those who remain…usually they no longer stay the same. Their concept of what is important could change, they would no longer take things for grant. When they think differently, their actions reflect. Then, the consequences of they actions will follow. Collectively, it could lead to major shift in community if the event hit many.
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