September 11, 2005
I don't watch EuroNews, a pan-European news channel, much but they have a riveting segment called "No Comment", which highlights newsworthy clips devoid of overlaid commentary and punditry. The images and original soundtrack speak for themselves and viewers draw their own conclusion.
First time I saw it, there was a 3-minute clip of the Israeli evacuation in Palestine. The tension was palpable in the "live" sounds of residents pleading with perplexed military personnel, ubiquitous scuffles and the occasional gunshot – all happening in real time.
This clip segued immediately to the scene of a traffic accident on the outskirts of Bangkok. It was clear the accident had just occurred. Again, no commentary. Only the sounds of grief, shock, panic and urgency as police and bystanders took stock of the situation. A raging fistfight broke out though between whom I didn't know as everything was in Thai.
Unvarnished reality TV.
Today there was a long silent clip of Downtown Manhattan and immediately I knew. There was barely any traffic noise. A large flag was draped down the side of a golden skyscraper. Image after image of people clutching framed photos of missing/deceased loved ones, many with heart-wrenching dedications written next to the pictures. They were gathered at Ground Zero to remember.
Every time I remember, my chest feels heavy and my eyes well. I didn't lose anyone close but I did live and work very close by. Numerous friends and neighborhood acquaintances had horror stories to tell. I heard them all, from the buddy called up on reserve duty to assist in combing the wreckage for remains and the unspeakable images he'll carry with him for life; the friend who while running for his life wanted to stop and help those he was overtaking on foot that were collapsing from suffocation but was relentlessly driven by survival; another who while fleeing the scene recalls the thud thud thud of bodies hitting the pavement. I would have been on my way to work that morning too and who knows how I'd have been altered.
On the 1-year anniversary, I was on the Tranz-Alpine from Christchurch to Greymouth. I was in the middle of a month strolling around New Zealand on my own and was glad that on this somber day, my haphazard schedule should place me on board one of the world's most spectacular train journeys, gazing out the large windows - with Marlborough Pinot Noir in hand - at the beauty and majesty of our natural world while contemplating the inexplicable twists in the journey of life.
On this the 4-year anniversary, I am in Cairo. It is mere days after Egypt's first-ever multi-candidate presidential election. Uncannily, the Israeli withdrawal from Palestine is complete today. While the human toll from recent natural disasters around the world is more staggering, the self-inflicted root of 9/11 renders it painfully sad and thus, it requires our remembrance.
First time I saw it, there was a 3-minute clip of the Israeli evacuation in Palestine. The tension was palpable in the "live" sounds of residents pleading with perplexed military personnel, ubiquitous scuffles and the occasional gunshot – all happening in real time.
This clip segued immediately to the scene of a traffic accident on the outskirts of Bangkok. It was clear the accident had just occurred. Again, no commentary. Only the sounds of grief, shock, panic and urgency as police and bystanders took stock of the situation. A raging fistfight broke out though between whom I didn't know as everything was in Thai.
Unvarnished reality TV.
Today there was a long silent clip of Downtown Manhattan and immediately I knew. There was barely any traffic noise. A large flag was draped down the side of a golden skyscraper. Image after image of people clutching framed photos of missing/deceased loved ones, many with heart-wrenching dedications written next to the pictures. They were gathered at Ground Zero to remember.
Every time I remember, my chest feels heavy and my eyes well. I didn't lose anyone close but I did live and work very close by. Numerous friends and neighborhood acquaintances had horror stories to tell. I heard them all, from the buddy called up on reserve duty to assist in combing the wreckage for remains and the unspeakable images he'll carry with him for life; the friend who while running for his life wanted to stop and help those he was overtaking on foot that were collapsing from suffocation but was relentlessly driven by survival; another who while fleeing the scene recalls the thud thud thud of bodies hitting the pavement. I would have been on my way to work that morning too and who knows how I'd have been altered.
On the 1-year anniversary, I was on the Tranz-Alpine from Christchurch to Greymouth. I was in the middle of a month strolling around New Zealand on my own and was glad that on this somber day, my haphazard schedule should place me on board one of the world's most spectacular train journeys, gazing out the large windows - with Marlborough Pinot Noir in hand - at the beauty and majesty of our natural world while contemplating the inexplicable twists in the journey of life.
On this the 4-year anniversary, I am in Cairo. It is mere days after Egypt's first-ever multi-candidate presidential election. Uncannily, the Israeli withdrawal from Palestine is complete today. While the human toll from recent natural disasters around the world is more staggering, the self-inflicted root of 9/11 renders it painfully sad and thus, it requires our remembrance.
posted by jngah @ 10:14 PM
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