Discuss Caitybug's answer to: 10 years Later .Thoughts on 9/11

I remember the day crystal clear. It started out like a routine day in the life of a student. I was in my typical morning ritual of turning the coffee maker on and dragging my body to the living room to turn the today show on. The first plane had already struck. I was standing there irritated, because I thought there was a broadcasting error. I went back to the kitchen, grabbed my mug of coffee and came back to the living room, and still thought this was fiction. At 9:03 am the second plane struck and reality became very real. My boyfriend came into the living room and asked me if I was okay. I didn't say a word. My head was whirling with a tornado of fearful thoughts about whether or not my mother was there right now, in a meeting, or on a business trip somewhere. I then threw up. I called my mother's cell and there was no answer. I tried her work phone and home and no answer. I called her cell god knows how many times and really began to lose it. At exactly 9:11 am my mother called. She was out of the country on business. I felt extremely relieved. Then I looked bak at the tv. My boyfriend and I stood frozen in horror. I looked at him and said " they need to stop sending firemen in there, because those buildings are going to come crashing down!" I stood there clenching my hands having difficulty breathing knowing that all the people trapped in those buildings and all the emergency responders were going to meet there demise. I felt angry that I had no control over warning them. Shortly after the quick collapse of the first building happened. Then reailty set in for the second time, mymother was not the only loved one who could have been in either of those two buildings.

As the day marched forward and the horror had turned into a very deep sense of helplessness and grief, I began to see the beauty in humanity. There were people around me comforting relative strangers in embraces. Solace in togetherness and open heartedness I saw everywhere. I had such gratitude that my mother and father were both alive. Sadly, as the days marched forward, and the blood thirsty cries for revenge set in, the beauty of all the humanity disappeared my gratitude was forgotten. Only to be reminded on the anniversary of this tragedy. My wish is that I and everyone else, would have continued to practice that days heartful generousity forward everyday, not just during tragedy.

Bin Laden? Never heard of the guy before 9/11. He's nothing new. Just another human filled with hatred and guided by desires for power.  I once heard someone call him a "knock-off monster." Lets see, there has been Hitler, some might say Nixon, Vlad, Timothy McVeigh, and the list goes on. Just typing this up it's easy for me to realize where the real war is.....in our hearts.

As AP brought the issue of feeling safe. Well, I don't feel any safer in this country nor anywhere else in the world. All the gunning and the bombing is going t change people internally ad that's what concerns me. Hitler, Osama, etc. are all dead and hate still exists. I won't feel that the world is a safer place until the war is declared on hatred and fought with a different type of weapon.

Thanks for inviting me to answer this question AP. As always, your questions are the most substantial. Take care.