Never Give Up...

I wrote on my blog of my experience on September 11, 2001, yesterday. I visited several other blogs and after reading DJan's post at Eye On The Edge, she asked the question,  "If you feel so moved, I wonder what happened in your life on that day, and ask if you would be willing to share it. And your sense of the direction of our country: do you see any light at the end of this long tunnel?"

I was carried away with my response and when I tried to post it, it blocked me, because I had written more than amount of characters allowed.  So the following are my thoughts...

I can only speak from my personal perspective. We have seen our life savings take a huge hit. My husband continues to work strictly for financial reasons.The banking job he used to enjoy lending money to new businesses has turned into one he hates, because the bank no longer lends money to anyone.  He lost his former position and is now in charge of all the bad loans from all the four of their branches, which are now consolidated into one bank.

The housing market is so bad, we are stuck in Nevada, unable to sell our home unless we give it away, so we can move back to California to live closer to the majority of our family and friends. Housing is still expensive there, at least the areas we want to move. Taxes and cost of living are higher there too.

We have done our best in raising our children.  We have faith they will succeed as they aspire to follow the American Dream. We want to live closer to help and support them. We want to see them and hold them more. As things are now, we do have concerns about the fate of the world our grand children will inherit...

We know of so many personally and within our community, who have lost their homes, their jobs, their savings. We see and hear of families who must live in the drainage tunnels under the city of Las Vegas. We see children and grand children living in the small homes of our 55+ community, with their parents and grand parents, because they have no place left to go... 

So many things are weighting down this country. In some ways, I don't want to know, because the more I find out, the more discouraged and depressed I become. Yet, the better part of me, wants to have hope. Hope, our country and the world, will rise to the challenge and overcome. Our history shows it is what we do. I want to believe it will get better.

I make up my mind to be positive, to come from a place of love, to treat others the way I want to be treated. I genuinely care about my fellow human beings and at the age of 63, I find the older I become, the world seems to grow smaller. I do my best to lend a hand to anyone who needs it. I offer a smile to anyone who walks toward me or is around me. I don't work so I can drive back and forth to California to see my loved ones more. I reach out in the blog sphere to other's lives, listening and commenting. I care deeply for our country and for all countries. We are ALL in this world together.

I dislike competition. There always has to be a "Winner" and a "Loser". In school when we had to play sports, when we won, I could not enjoy the victory because I felt bad for those who did not win.

I think the competitive spirit is a part of the problem. Some people let the power of being the best, delude them. They become greedy and need more... Power is as addictive as heroin. Many people cannot handle it. People become selfish and only think of what is best for them and screw the "other guy"..

I wish more people would want to do their best, just out of wanting to put forth their personal best and to help others. I wish people felt better about themselves, so they did not need an others opinion to believe it.

I hate War; but what are we to do when we, as a country, a nation, were attacked? Clean up the mess and move on like nothing happened? Forgive and forget?

If we look at our world, like a collective family, and someone crashes a plane into our home, killing our loved ones, and we discover it was on purpose...what do we do?

If a gang of thugs invade your neighborhood, killing neighbors and friends randomly, stealing, destroying every one's property, would you stand idly by? Would you leave it to someone else? Or would you band together and fight against the injustice? Some times we have to fight for what is right, no matter what the cost.

Our human instincts want revenge. Our pain is too severe to be comforted with religion...but we have to believe in a power higher than ourselves, or we will have chaos. As a collective family, we have to pull together to recover from grief and difficult times.  In grief, our faith helps us to know our loved ones are in a better place. Everyone struggles, but the burden is lighter, when shared with others who care. Laws are made to protect individuals, but ultimately, for the greater good.
Our rules and laws are certainly not perfect. There are flaws in anything mad made...but we can never just give up. We must persevere!

I don't understand hate. Children's innocence is universal. Children have to be taught to hate. Hatred will destroy the world.

I have no doubt those terrorists love their children and families...but "their God" comes before anything else. As some of us do as well. How many religious fanatics, have we each known, who forced the FEAR OF GOD onto their children, making them just the opposite?  Monsters come in many colors and nationalities.

A child molester does not just become one, they are taught the unthinkable by experiencing horrific,and heinous torture and abuse at a critical time in their early life. I call that evil.

I find it difficult to believe how a child grows up comfortable in taking anothers life. That child has to be taught to kill or taught to hate, brainwashed if you will, to follow an others warped thinking.

I think parenting is one of the most important jobs on this planet. There should be more classes in grade schools and high schools. How a child is raised, is the seed that dwells in the mind of every adult. The upbringing and attitudes branch out to touch and affect every living animal or human they meet. If we don't like or believe in ourselves, how can we stand effectively among others and make a difference? How can we set examples? How can we lead?  How can we care? How can we know and feel our purpose?

I can only deal and do my best with my family, friends, people I met, and care about those in this world with me. I live and let live.  I do my best not to be caught up with petty, gossiping, pot stirring folks. I concentrate on our life, our neighborhood, our community, our children, grand children, parents, siblings and friends. Just staying on top of what is going on in our family, fills up my life. When a disaster strikes some where in the world, we care, we contribute in some way. We have learned through 9/11, how one heinous act can affect so many people, nationalities, businesses, our finances, the housing market, cities, countries, and nations.

We ARE all in this world together...and it is high time we pull together and do what we have to do, to never give up to make it right.