EDITOR'S PAGE |
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"...the ripples of our nation's wake travel far and wide" It's Monday October 1st of the year 2001 and I have retreated to my parents' house to compose this issue's Editor's page. Here, in this small town of 200 people, near the west coast of Washington State, it is rural, private, peaceful, quiet and seemingly far away from civilization. If I had remained in isolation of the media or news from friends and family I may be simply relishing the beauty of this day without any thoughts of war or fear or concern about anything at all. But, we have all been affected, even in this place so far away from the New York City tragedy on September 11th, 2001. My family landed here as a result of a Coast Guard transfer. Three and a half years of my chilhood were spent living on Governor's Island in New York. This tragedy brought up many memories of our home on the 3rd floor of building 877 on Governor's Island. My bedroom faced the Statue of Liberty; our living room looked towards Ellis Island and my parents' room faced Manhattan and the World Trade Centers. When I began Junior High School I commuted to JHS 104 every day taking the ferry then the subway to my public school near Stuyvesant. The World Trade Centers had a place in my life which are very real. I am thankful that we have photos and home movies which have captured those symbolic giants but, they also bring sadness knowing they are no more. Like many others I have been searching for friends in New York. Feelings of guilt have arisen from not contacting them earlier. It's been over 20 years since there has been any contact at all. But, now I think of them and wonder where they are: Diana Knight, my best friend on Governor's Island; I remember annoying all of the passengers on the greyhound bus as we travelled through the Holland Tunnel on the way to my aunt's house in Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey. For hours I strummed my guitar as we belted out "Seasons in the Sun" almost the entire trip. I think about my CISV (Children's International Summer Villages) cohorts who travelled with me to Leeds, England when we were just a mere 11 years old. The intent of sending candidates to these international camps at 11 years old is because we are old enough to start forming our own beliefs and convictions but, young enough to also learn tolerance for other races and nations. I want to find my friends but, I can't even remember their last names. Nancy, my spunky Jewish friend whose father was in politics. Laid-back drummer Joe from Long Island who was raised Catholic like me. And, Scott, an extremely intelligent orthodox Jew with black horn-rimmed glasses and braces, who taught me so much about his religion and made me feel comfortable in a synagogue. Then there is Lucinda, one of my mom's best friends who worked with her at St. Vincent's Hospital and lives on Long Island. We we still haven't been able to track her down. She originally told mom about CISV and helped me get a scholarship for the England trip. Her son starred in Grease on Broadway and I had a major 10-year old crush on him. I remember him carrying me in his arms as I was too scared to cross the sting-ray infested waters of Long Island Sound. (Then again, maybe they weren't infested with anything. And, maybe I wasn't really scared. But, the ride was sure fun!) Why didn't we keep in touch before this tragedy? The answer to that question doesn't really matter now but, the wake up call has been answered and we are all reaching out and connecting as much as we can. And, for those of us that don't have memories or ties in New York, out here in this rural area we still see the signs of war or at least preparation for war. Several weeks ago, just days after the terrorist attack, the silence of the sky was appreciated from our 6000 foot backcountry meadow in the Olympics. We thought, "well, one benefit of what's happened is that our skies are silent". However, this silence was broken by a large, gray military jet, which we don't normally see in our airways. Our attempt to escape was only somewhat successful. On a recent birthday hike with friends just a few days ago, two hours after a delightful beach hike, we sat in the sun eating our lunches then a large gray figure was spotted in the distant waters. My first thought was "whale!", as that is what I am accustomed to seeing when noticing large gray sea creatures but, after looking through our birding binoculars we found a huge submarine en route to some unknown destination. We were fascinated by the size of this massive vessel, discussed how we can't seem to escape reminders of war even in our outdoor getaways, then decided to continue celebrating this birthday by getting into our birthday suits and swimming (dipping) in the refreshing salty waters. The content of this issue was already formalized before September 11th. I questioned the need to dedicate an entire issue to the tragedy but, decided we needed to move on and be reminded that life goes on and that our livelihoods and spirits must thrive instead of being overshadowed by these attacks. I am appreciative of the stories that have been submitted and for the inspiration imparted by each of the contributors to this issue. Each person that has contributed to this issue has been affected by this tragedy but, I also know that each person has continued to pursue their passions. Their arts, words and photos inspired me to be excited about this issue. Like them we can all be strong by simply continuing to live...and live full of spirit and love. Each issue is special to me but, I am especially grateful that I was forced to publish this issue. It reminded me that I have a purpose and a goal and that people are depending on me to finish what I've started. And, I also needed my contributors in order for me to do my part. And, so it goes. Neither one of us could quit or cancel to make this happen. We all had a task and a part to play and this issue is the product of each one of us caring enough to follow-through to the end.. We all need each other. Sometimes we can't see it but, we do. We need to support those that are grieving but we also need to help each other keep living. No matter how far away we are from the tragedy the ripples of our nation's wake travel far and wide And, we can respond like helpless corks or like seasoned kayakers knowing how to ride the waves, wearing our lifejackets and carrying our radios knowing when to ask for help. Thank you for contributing to this webzine through your stories and your emails. Your gratitude helps keep me going on those days when I think "is any of this making a difference in people's lives?" This is the last issue for 2001 and I'm looking forward to the January issue of 2002 to commence the 3rd year of our webzine! Stay tuned for my own stories in the next issue! Once again, bringing you these stories is a blessing in itself. My wish is that these stories will inspire and speak to your soul. Enjoy!
Peace, Chief Editor, SpirituallyFit.com We enjoy hearing from you and reading your stories. If you have submitted your stories we will notify you if your story has been selected. We have received stories which will be used in future issues so don't lose heart if your story has not yet been published. Use our submission form and keep us all inspired by your stories! Email us with your comments or send us suggestions. Let us know you stopped by and tell us what does and doesn't work for you! Thank you for visiting our site! SpirituallyFit.com Staff |
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