A Brave New World
In my book, ‘Enemy Within – A memoir of strength, determination and acceptance’ I write about 9/11. I called the chapter ‘A Brave New World.’ Ten years ago every New Yorker understood that the world had changed. We all had to be brave and courageous. Some faced the adversity without fear and made the ultimate sacrifice. We will never forget.
I went downtown to Tribeca for dinner with my girlfriend on Friday September 9,2011. V lives around the corner from the ‘World Trade Center’. In my book I write about spending part of September 11 with V and with Char. While V stood outside her place , almost 10 years after 9/11, choppers circled the sky and beams of light made the almost full moon illuminate even more. The city’s energy was all around us. It felt like fear was in the air. The atmosphere reminded us both that if we allow ourselves to feel the emotions of 9/11 that the pain is really just below the surface. I was struck by the deep sadness that I still felt.
Yes in many ways we are ‘A Brave New World’ and I am proud of the resilience of New Yorkers, but I also realized today 9/11/11 that we’ll never really be healed. I will never forget the pain.
Then I went to church to pay respect to our fallen heroes and I felt moved to take action again. We all have to do what we can to make the world a better place. A world with hope, love, peace and understanding. A world with optimism. A world where neighbors and communities look after each other just like we did after 9/11.
I promise to do my part every day to make the world a kinder, happier place by reaching out to one person in need, or doing an act of kindness, or caring for nature, or writing a thank you card. My feeling is that if we all do this we truly can make a difference and that our world will be a better place.
Michael J Fox is my hero. Go to www.values.com
To buy my book copy and paste
http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Within-strength-determination-acceptance/dp/1741108500
2 comments
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Hi Karen,
I just read this beautiful article you wrote. In just a short time we will be visiting the memorial to pay our respects. It felt personal to me ten years ago as if I lived in New York. As you said, we’ll never really be healed. We to will not forget the pain. It is sad when it takes a tragedy like this to bring people together.
You also said it best in your last paragraph about taking a part of each day to reach out to others in need by showing kindness and caring for nature. I found this out myself five years ago after realizing these days are not about me or my disease, but about those also who have a need for people like me that can share our stories to help others.
I have found volunteering for the Senior Center, the city Police department, and our local hospital helping the nurses and doctor’s with their patients a time to reflect on those who have it much worse then I could imagine. During this time I do not think about myself or pain. I especially love to talk with patients who do not have any families to be there with them. For me helping in any capacity can make a difference hopefully in someone’s life.
I love what you wrote here and know where your kind heart is. I also remember the first time I read your book when it came out and shared it with my wife, family, and friends. Since then, ‘Enemy Within’ has given me strength, hope, love, peace and understanding that you wrote. I feel I have grown daily since then and have the ‘optimism that Michael J. Fox wrote about to hopefully bring communities together and make this a better world to live in.
I think if all of us that are rich or poor, healthy or ill, and neighbor to neighbor were to apply a small piece of random acts of kindness, we could make this a better place to live without the hate and violence on day.
Michael J. Fox, his wife Tracey and their resilient family are also our heroes.
To all of Karen’s readers, she is also resilient and has a golden heart. Please take time out to write her here as a comment or on her general blog. Please if you have not done so, pick up her book and read it. I know many people who have and the comments on Enemy Within on Amazon.com will reflect this kind and wonderful person who took her busy schedule as a Teacher and RA Advocate to write this book about her growing up with RA and how she finds strength daily to continue to help others. I know she help my family and I……….Thank you Karen !
Permalink2
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Hi Karen,
I just read this beautiful article you wrote. In just a short time we will be visiting the memorial to pay our respects. It felt personal to me ten years ago as if I lived in New York. As you said, we’ll never really be healed. We to will not forget the pain. It is sad when it takes a tragedy like this to bring people together.
You also said it best in your last paragraph about taking a part of each day to reach out to others in need by showing kindness and caring for nature. I found this out myself five years ago after realizing these days are not about me or my disease, but about those also who have a need for people like me that can share our stories to help others.
I have found volunteering for the Senior Center, the city Police department, and our local hospital helping the nurses and doctor’s with their patients a time to reflect on those who have it much worse then I could imagine. During this time I do not think about myself or pain. I especially love to talk with patients who do not have any families to be there with them. For me helping in any capacity can make a difference hopefully in someone’s life.
I love what you wrote here and know where your kind heart is. I also remember the first time I read your book when it came out and shared it with my wife, family, and friends. Since then, ‘Enemy Within’ has given me strength, hope, love, peace and understanding that you wrote. I feel I have grown daily since then and have the ‘optimism that Michael J. Fox wrote about to hopefully bring communities together and make this a better world to live in.
I think if all of us that are rich or poor, healthy or ill, and neighbor to neighbor were to apply a small piece of random acts of kindness, we could make this a better place to live without the hate and violence on day.
Michael J. Fox, his wife Tracey and their resilient family are also our heroes.
To all of Karen’s readers, she is also resilient and has a golden heart. Please take time out to write her here as a comment or on her general blog. Please if you have not done so, pick up her book and read it. I know many people who have and the comments on Enemy Within on Amazon.com will reflect this kind and wonderful person who took her busy schedule as a Teacher and RA Advocate to write this book about her growing up with RA and how she finds strength daily to continue to help others. I know she help my family and I……….Thank you Karen !