I traveled extensively last year and found that no matter where I was or whom I was speaking to, the conversation invariably wrapped around to 9/11. I decided to interview those I was speaking with in an attempt to show the tremendous compassion we as humans have for one another. 9/11 is interwoven into the fabric of so many people's lives around the world. Over the next couple of weeks, leading up to the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I will be posting stories from around the world.
We tend to forget the younger generation and how they were affected by 9/11/01. Impressionable minds watching what would seem, at first glance, to be a video game on TV. How did their innocent minds deal with the atrocities they were seeing on TV and hearing about from their parents? How did it compare to the reactions of older people? These are the questioned I asked and the answers I got renewed my faith in the younger generation. The overwhelming message is one of peace.
Name: Drew
Nationality: Australian
Age: 25
Profession: Concrete worker
I was in bed when the planes hit. In 2000, I was in New York and visited the Twin Towers. On the day 9/11, my parents woke me up at 2:30 am. They had me come downstairs to the TV room and I couldn’t believe what I was watching. It was like a bad movie. I thought it was a movie at first. It took 2-3 hours before it was even confirmed that it was a terrorist attack. I watched the whole time. I suppose it affected me quite a bit because I had just been there the year before. My parents kept me out of school for a few days. It was crazy, everything on TV revolved around that for the next couple of weeks. I was so sad. When you are watching TV and see people jump from buildings and pretty much committing suicide, it makes you think about your own life, your family and friends and makes you realize that they could be taken away from you at any point. It was definitely something that will only happen once; at least I hope this is the only time something like that ever happens.
Name: Roy
Nationality: Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
Age: 27
Profession: Professional Surfer
I watched it on the TV with my friends and family, I was still in school at the time and we stayed home for a couple of days watching it. Of course, I feel really sorry my friends. When I watched the plane it was like a movie. It was like a movie I was watching on TV. It was like when we had a Tsunami and people died. It reminded me of that and I am so sorry for the people in America. Remember, peace and love my friends, there are many many problems in the world and I mean, peace and love. Yes, peace and love is the answer.
Name: Masayero
Nationality: Japanese
Age: 26
Profession: Surf Shop Owner
I watched on BBC in my house the whole time with my family. I watched the planes crashing into the buildings. I couldn’t really believe it. There were buildings there and then they were gone. I thought it was an accident. I saw people jumping and falling on TV and I was so surprised and so sad. I cannot say anything but how sad I was to see that. I am very sad for the American people and very sorry.
Name: Emily
Nationality: American
Age: 22
Profession: Student
I was riding in the passenger side of my dad's car driving to school and we heard about the first plane hitting on the radio. My immediate thought was that it couldn’t have been real. It didn’t seem like this was an actual disaster, more of an accident. When I got to school, it was playing on all of the TVs in our classrooms, so we watched updates on the news all day. I couldn’t stop asking the questions to myself; How could someone have done such a horrible thing? Why is there so much hatred toward this country for these people to kill so many innocent people? My heart went out to all of the victims on the planes, as well as in NYC and I couldn't help but cry when thinking about what they must have been going through. I thought a lot about their families as well. Not only did if affect the country as a whole, but also made me reflect on the fact that maybe we're not all as safe as we think. I felt really scared. I didn’t exhibit much patriotism as I never have, but you can't help but feel a bit alone in the world when something like this happens. It makes you think about those you love and realize that you cant take them for granted because you never know what could happen. I remember thinking that family, friends, and relationships are really the only thing that matters. The love and closeness you feel with those around you far surpasses anything material that can be taken away in an instant. You can express your love to a person- you can't do that to a material object, so why wouldn't you try to verbalize your love to those that are close to you as often as possible. 9/11 always makes me think about a lot about the state of the world and wondering why some people have such great hatred in their hearts. It makes me sad to think of that.
Name: Daniel
Nationality: Czech
Age: 23
Profession: Student
I don´t recall exactly what I was doing before I found out, but I turned the tv on immediately - I think it was my father who called me pretty early (maybe even before the news about the second plane appeared). There was no news channel in the Czech Republic by that time, but the national tv stopped the regular program and kept airing breaking news for rest of the day. I didn´t have any convenient internet connection so the television was really my only source of information.
I think the two most significant emotions were terror and disbelief. It was so shocking to see the planes crashing into the WTC, but I was still convinced that there was no risk of collapse and that the only problem would be to deal with the fire. So when the first of the Twins fell to the ground it was a real blow. I don´t want this to sound over-sentimental but I remember tears coming to my eyes.
I kept a close look on the events that followed, especially the dramatic rescue works. There was a lot of discussions going on with my friend about terrorism and possible war (note: a war for the US would mean a war for the Czech Republic as well, the Czechs are part of NATO since 1999). The attack on democracy is being taken very seriously here, since the Communist era lasted till 1989 - and I perceived 9-11 as an attack on democracy.
I don´t think I really changed anything in my behavior after these events but one thing was still different - the way I thought about the terrorist threat. Until then, the possibility of such attack effecting directly you or people close to you seemed just so remote that I just considered it a problem of places like Middle East or locations with separatist tendencies, just not our problem. I know it´s selfish, but that´s the way it is. Since 2001, the idea of possible terrorist attacks is just present. It makes me scared for our future.
They are our future.
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
Friday, August 19, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Heroes and Villians and Everything In Between
Heroes and Villains. Helen of Troy launched a thousand ships filled with heroes and each day we are launched into the world with the simple question: Are you going to be a hero, a villain, or both today?
In Greek Mythology, most of those we would term heroes were villains to others. It begs the question, which one are you? Is it possible to be a hero to a child and an absolute villain to your neighbor at the same time? And since every single one of us makes mistakes and has the capacity for greatness, perhaps right now, at this very moment, someone thinks you are a hero and someone else thinks you are an absolute villain.
If even the Gods of ancient mythology were flawed, and seriously, they were borderline crazy at times, then how can we mere mortals ever expect to be more than they were? The Gods were down right evil at times, their stories are rife with jealousy, anger, infidelity, arrogance, and deception. Throughout all of the stories, the bridge between the mortal man and the Gods has always been the hero. The hero is the ideal, but clearly we need to leave room for imperfections. And holy shit people, that means that YOU get to be imperfect, you get to be a villain and you get to be a hero!
Is a hero someone who's soul is chipped at daily while they toil for the betterment of humankind? Or is a hero the one that rushes into a burning building to save because it is there job? Are both heroes?
My personal heroes have always been those that shock me. The ones that stick by me, call me out on my shit, love me, and save me at the same time. See, a hero can be just that. I got over the notion of savior when I was a child. From somewhere, deep inside, past all the surface movements, I knew. I knew that there are no white nights like in the movies. And now? Now I find my white knights in the strangest forms and yes, they actually do exist and yes, they are heroes in the most unusual ways.
So, you in the closet teenage gay guy you are my hero even if you shoplift those really cool ass hugging jeans. You have the capacity for teaching people the meaning of forgiveness and being true to yourself. And hey guy that cheats on his wife and hides it but loves his children so much he would die for them, you are a hero. And teachers, the ones that hold the development of greatness in your hands but get in screaming matches with the grocery store clerk for no reason, yep you are heroes.
Here's the deal, Zeus turned himself into a swan in order to rape Leda. But, he also saved the earth at least 3 times. Now, I'm not saying it's OK to turn yourself into a swan and rape, but what I am saying is that even if you make massive mistakes, someone thinks you are a hero. Right at this moment, someone is thinking of you as a hero. And I can't think of anything more God-like than being a hero and still making mistakes.
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
In Greek Mythology, most of those we would term heroes were villains to others. It begs the question, which one are you? Is it possible to be a hero to a child and an absolute villain to your neighbor at the same time? And since every single one of us makes mistakes and has the capacity for greatness, perhaps right now, at this very moment, someone thinks you are a hero and someone else thinks you are an absolute villain.
If even the Gods of ancient mythology were flawed, and seriously, they were borderline crazy at times, then how can we mere mortals ever expect to be more than they were? The Gods were down right evil at times, their stories are rife with jealousy, anger, infidelity, arrogance, and deception. Throughout all of the stories, the bridge between the mortal man and the Gods has always been the hero. The hero is the ideal, but clearly we need to leave room for imperfections. And holy shit people, that means that YOU get to be imperfect, you get to be a villain and you get to be a hero!
Is a hero someone who's soul is chipped at daily while they toil for the betterment of humankind? Or is a hero the one that rushes into a burning building to save because it is there job? Are both heroes?
My personal heroes have always been those that shock me. The ones that stick by me, call me out on my shit, love me, and save me at the same time. See, a hero can be just that. I got over the notion of savior when I was a child. From somewhere, deep inside, past all the surface movements, I knew. I knew that there are no white nights like in the movies. And now? Now I find my white knights in the strangest forms and yes, they actually do exist and yes, they are heroes in the most unusual ways.
So, you in the closet teenage gay guy you are my hero even if you shoplift those really cool ass hugging jeans. You have the capacity for teaching people the meaning of forgiveness and being true to yourself. And hey guy that cheats on his wife and hides it but loves his children so much he would die for them, you are a hero. And teachers, the ones that hold the development of greatness in your hands but get in screaming matches with the grocery store clerk for no reason, yep you are heroes.
Here's the deal, Zeus turned himself into a swan in order to rape Leda. But, he also saved the earth at least 3 times. Now, I'm not saying it's OK to turn yourself into a swan and rape, but what I am saying is that even if you make massive mistakes, someone thinks you are a hero. Right at this moment, someone is thinking of you as a hero. And I can't think of anything more God-like than being a hero and still making mistakes.
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
Friday, August 5, 2011
Fuck You Thank You
Because it's time to tell it how it is in my head, because it's time to sing, dance, smile, laugh, love, and play again:
To the person that stole so much money out of my bank account-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my car for breaking down in the middle of nowhere-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my mother-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the man who sold me a jacked laptop in Vietnam, which imploded this week-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the guy who I bailed out of jail just because I am kind, who will never pay me back the money he owes me-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my neighbor who is so cruel to animals & humans alike-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To all the guys that lie, hurt me & my friends, cheat, & don't show up-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To those that are bigots, racists, homophobic-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the guy I talk to daily, who is my savior and my best friend-Thank you. I love you.
To the girl that has been with me on my journey and known me since we were 5-Thank you. You are my heart.
To the people that have so much compassion, they feel what I'm feeling-Thank you. You are my heroes.
To my sisters-Thank you. I love you.
To the one in Massachusetts, reaching out across the miles-You save me. I love you.
To the man who stopped to rescue me, while tears were drying on my cheeks & my car wouldn't go-Thank you. You are an exceptional person.
To my landlord who hugged me & took the time to offer kind words-Thank you. I love you.
To the girls that called me this past week to check on me-Thank you. I love you.
To the dreamers, the young ones with eyes wide open, to the new ones in my life-Thank you. I admire you.
More thanks than fucks and my world is a shining place.
What are your thanks and fucks?
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
To the person that stole so much money out of my bank account-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my car for breaking down in the middle of nowhere-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my mother-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the man who sold me a jacked laptop in Vietnam, which imploded this week-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the guy who I bailed out of jail just because I am kind, who will never pay me back the money he owes me-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To my neighbor who is so cruel to animals & humans alike-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To all the guys that lie, hurt me & my friends, cheat, & don't show up-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To those that are bigots, racists, homophobic-Fuck you. I forgive you.
To the guy I talk to daily, who is my savior and my best friend-Thank you. I love you.
To the girl that has been with me on my journey and known me since we were 5-Thank you. You are my heart.
To the people that have so much compassion, they feel what I'm feeling-Thank you. You are my heroes.
To my sisters-Thank you. I love you.
To the one in Massachusetts, reaching out across the miles-You save me. I love you.
To the man who stopped to rescue me, while tears were drying on my cheeks & my car wouldn't go-Thank you. You are an exceptional person.
To my landlord who hugged me & took the time to offer kind words-Thank you. I love you.
To the girls that called me this past week to check on me-Thank you. I love you.
To the dreamers, the young ones with eyes wide open, to the new ones in my life-Thank you. I admire you.
More thanks than fucks and my world is a shining place.
What are your thanks and fucks?
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Are You Out There?
I recently read an amazing book called Learning to Breathe by Alison Wright. Alison is a photojournalist, traveling the world in search of photos that reach through the pages and touch our souls. She has documented through her lens; pictures of war torn places, she has captured the light in the eyes of children living in poverty, the hands of those that toil daily through insurmountable hardships. She almost died on a twisting road in Lao.
I was on that very same road, traveling on a similar bus. By a twist of fate, Alison's bus was hit head on by a truck. By a twist of fate, mine wasn't. Through one moment in time of jagged metal piercing her body, her entire life was changed. And me? There was no moment of physical distress upon that road. What I remember on that road was a window open, my face pressed into the wind. Tears of loneliness and a wall reaching around me that told others to stay away, to not talk to me or even look at me.
I have been thinking a lot about life and death lately, how the choices we make today in this very moment, trace the course of our lives. How so quickly people can be taken from us or how they make the choice to leave us. And how we must honor the decisions people make in their own lives, honor them and know that in the end, at the very end of twisting roads, all that is left is love.
I think about the people around the world that I have met and wonder if their choices at this moment are the same ones I experienced while in their atmosphere. I think of government officials in the dead of the night in an airport in Indonesia, automatic rifles slung across shoulders, stopping to listen to Irish boys play ColdPlay on their guitars and my off key singing. I think about a tuk-tuk driver in Chiang Mai, Thailand delivering me safely to my guest house lamenting how he will never be able to leave the city and country he was born in. Are you out there?
Are you out there girl in the torn, dirty dress? I met you in a tiny village in India. You listened to my music through headphones, the Avett Brothers. You smiled shyly at me and touched my arm, touching skin so different than yours. I didn't know where I was or how I would be able to leave your village, yet through the terror I felt at that moment, your smile stays with me. Are you out there? Are your choices the same?
I think of the old woman in Vietnam and sobbing in her arms. She touched the back of my head, caressing my hair and communicating in the only language that we both spoke. Love. I hope you are out there, you probably don't remember me, but your kindness is a part of me now.
It's all of you that live in my heart, all of the people I have met, all of the people that I know. Their are moments when I feel as though I can't breathe, as though the heart you live in has been shattered into a million pieces and it is in those moments that I think of you. You made the choice to be kind, to be loving. In the end, perhaps those are the only choices that matter.
Are you out there? Can you feel the love I am sending you?
"Now, instead of floating away the radiance came closer, enveloping me in a warm, pulsating luminosity and unconditional love. I no longer felt alone. I felt held."-Alison Wright
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
I was on that very same road, traveling on a similar bus. By a twist of fate, Alison's bus was hit head on by a truck. By a twist of fate, mine wasn't. Through one moment in time of jagged metal piercing her body, her entire life was changed. And me? There was no moment of physical distress upon that road. What I remember on that road was a window open, my face pressed into the wind. Tears of loneliness and a wall reaching around me that told others to stay away, to not talk to me or even look at me.
I have been thinking a lot about life and death lately, how the choices we make today in this very moment, trace the course of our lives. How so quickly people can be taken from us or how they make the choice to leave us. And how we must honor the decisions people make in their own lives, honor them and know that in the end, at the very end of twisting roads, all that is left is love.
I think about the people around the world that I have met and wonder if their choices at this moment are the same ones I experienced while in their atmosphere. I think of government officials in the dead of the night in an airport in Indonesia, automatic rifles slung across shoulders, stopping to listen to Irish boys play ColdPlay on their guitars and my off key singing. I think about a tuk-tuk driver in Chiang Mai, Thailand delivering me safely to my guest house lamenting how he will never be able to leave the city and country he was born in. Are you out there?
Are you out there girl in the torn, dirty dress? I met you in a tiny village in India. You listened to my music through headphones, the Avett Brothers. You smiled shyly at me and touched my arm, touching skin so different than yours. I didn't know where I was or how I would be able to leave your village, yet through the terror I felt at that moment, your smile stays with me. Are you out there? Are your choices the same?
I think of the old woman in Vietnam and sobbing in her arms. She touched the back of my head, caressing my hair and communicating in the only language that we both spoke. Love. I hope you are out there, you probably don't remember me, but your kindness is a part of me now.
It's all of you that live in my heart, all of the people I have met, all of the people that I know. Their are moments when I feel as though I can't breathe, as though the heart you live in has been shattered into a million pieces and it is in those moments that I think of you. You made the choice to be kind, to be loving. In the end, perhaps those are the only choices that matter.
Are you out there? Can you feel the love I am sending you?
"Now, instead of floating away the radiance came closer, enveloping me in a warm, pulsating luminosity and unconditional love. I no longer felt alone. I felt held."-Alison Wright
Peace, love, and joy
Lara
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