911 ... I WAS THERE!

This was taken from the porch of my water front room at Ship Ahoy, when I was at the Boothbay Harbor wedding in Maine. Peaceful, idyllic, serene, tranquillity are words that can best describe the ambience.

Fast forward 4 weeks, exactly to the date, we have the antithesis .... the 10th anniversary of 911 in 2001, in New York City when the sky opened up and hell dropped on America, on her people and the Nation has not been the same.

I was there, stranded for a week in NYC. I witnessed the best of human behavior including; courage, selflessness, comradeship, sacrifice, dedication, perseverance, love, brotherhood, trust on the one hand, and of course fear, tragedy, loss, hysteria, anguish, anger, helplessness, hopelessness on the other .... the list goes on. I was in tears for hours when I visited the Armory Downtown, the onsite clearinghouse of 'Lost & Found' of the living, the dead, and of course the mssing. It had to be the most moving moment in my life, it was then, and it still is now. Months afterwards when I was asked about those 5 fateful days in NYC tears would flow, uncontrollably, as I relived that saddest experience.

To me, America is like a foster parent whom I have 'lost touch' with. When I was a Freshman at Tufts 43 years ago in 1968 I thought I would never, ever, leave America and her way of life. 8 years hence I could not wait to return home, to Asia, where I have been since. Inherited during my formidable years, there is still some 'America left in me', without question. I continue to feel for the Nation, and the people, especially around 911. I support the view that American has learned a hard lesson, and learned it well. People in Hong Kong want to keep the 'Spirit of June 4th Alive', America ought to do the same for 911 .... 'Lest We Forget'.

God Bless America!