Transitioning from Fear to Hope

Thanks to Chris Finer.

Transitioning from Fear to Hope
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It occurs to me that there was an ironic parallel of events the other day-- events so symbolically intertwined, yet so completely opposite, that they warrant reflection.

On the same day, george w. bush gave his farewell address, a summation of his take on his "legacy," in which he attempted justification of his actions. [He said that it was] due to [his vigilance that] no subsequent successful attacks on the U.S. after 9/11 [had occurred.]

[Very recently,] a U.S. Airways jet suffered catastrophic damage at the very epicenter of the 9/11 tragedy. I am choosing to view these events as a sign-- a sign of a national and, [we hope,] global transition towards hope, connection, unconditional Love, and support.

Since September 11, 2001, the bush administration circuitously championed fear and hate in an effort to gather and accumulate power, and justify policies and agendas ultimately unrelated to "protecting" the U.S. from terror-- all in the name of "protection of the U.S. homeland." In [following bush,], a majority of our electorate have blindly acquiesced constitutional rights, allowed a misguided and unjust war to be waged, afforded more power and authority to the presidency, and generally accepted the contrived and frequently nonsensical ramblings of a man who is challenged to form a complete and coherent sentence. Why?

Because we, as a nation, allowed fear to guide our analysis. As a result of a tragedy in New York City involving jet airplanes [on 9-11-01], our country has been manipulated by fear for over seven years.

On the same day as bush's [selfcongratulating] address, a miracle occurred involving a [different] jet airplane in New York City. Rather than a tragedy that potentially cost hundreds of innocent lives, a combination of events, circumstances and selfless actions resulted in all lives being saved; and we, as a nation, being inspired to once again ascend to hope, and [to] believe in the power of pulling together in crisis. Why [was this] a "miracle"? The synchronicity at play was overwhelming. The pilot's courage, experience, training and capabilities suited this exact situation. That and a healthy measure of old fashioned luck allowed an almost impossible water landing. The area of the Hudson River in which the plane splashlanded just happened to have the unique quality of being free of maritime obstacles, but many craft in close proximity to aid in the rescue. Anywhere else in that stretch of the river, rescue would have taken far longer and lives would have been lost.
The weather was calm, and there were no real waves on the river. The rear door of the plane refused to open, forcing the evacuation through the front, and avoiding the tragic consequences of the plane sinking quickly. In spite of overwhelming odds and almost certain loss of life, all fell into place.

As I learned of the events of U.S. Airways flight 1549, I was struck by both the congruity and extreme differences with the tragedy of 9/11. While there were many examples of courage and bravery in the 9/11 tragedy, the end result of the treatment of events [were distorted to create only] fear. The hate inspired events of 9/11/01, which ultimately cost us far more than the nearly 3,000 lives lost that day, eventually resulted in fear, hate, and defensiveness. For me, this new and awesome event represents refreshing and inspirational courage, faith, compassion, selflessness, and connection. There are no reports of panic, of cowardice or fear. All were relatively calm and helpful to their compatriots, offering to assist and accommodate as necessary. In the end, by pulling together and utilizing the resources available, all is well.

As I contemplate the potentially catastrophic circumstances our nation and the world face at this time, I choose to view the events of flight 1549 as an auspicious harbinger, as Barack Obama prepares to guide our nation. I choose to use these events as a symbol to embrace the transition, the ascension if you will, from the fear of the last seven years to a new era of hope, of faith, of connectedness and compassionate action. I share these thoughts in the hope that you will join me in this view.

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