9/11 Memories – An Opportunity to Embrace Diversity
That morning I awoke in my usual semi-comatose state, while still in my nightgown went to my treadmill, turned on the miniature TV I had there and hopped on to get my not so thrilling exercise done. Except, something seemed to be wrong with the TV? No…it was grainy/black and white but, Peter Jennings was narrating the footage…images of the twin towers…portion of tower one damaged…when before my very eyes, and his, a second plane raced right into tower two. It was beyond comprehension. I listened a few moments more and then inexplicably decided to quit the allotted time I had for exercise and go back to bed. However, minutes later, the telephone rang with my best friend on the line…and then the processing began.
School had been in session only a day or two, and I considered what I would do to comfort and reassure 10 year old children I knew so very little. Our school was in the midst of remodeling, thus I was in a portable classroom located on the west lawn. The window, and open door opened upon an expanse of greenery, trees, and chirping birds…how pastoral the scene in such contradiction to the chaos of NYC.
Just as soon as I could complete the attendance procedures, I gathered my students around me as I sat in my rocker. They were allowed to share their feelings; I attempted to offer a calm vantage point to them. They possessed a pretty sophisticated understanding of this attack already…well aware of the concept of terrorism for their young years, as tragic as that was. Thus, I offered that our city was devoid of targets that might attract comparable activity, and shortly thereafter, I allowed the children some time to draw/color whatever they wished to express.
It was during this art time, a beautiful young lady came up to my desk and in her shy voice, whispered that she needed to ask me a question. She then revealed to me that she was Muslim, and with her eyes wide, near tears, asked me if she could still have a good life. I looked her straight in the eyes, and stated that she had every reason to take pride in herself, and that her heritage was her special gift…that if she was rejected for it, she would be spared empty friendships with those who had closed hearts.
While there is tremendous pain in considering that terrible day, I wish to consider the hope, the transformation that has occurred since then. I believe in the strides we have made to embrace diversity, be it race, sexual orientation or religious persuasion. There is much more to the task, and the need is great to complete it. May we continue to do so, with the strength, courage, and honesty that have always made me so proud to be an American.