I got into an argument about the world with a friend recently. We were on one of our pilgrimages to Yama for sushi (best sushi in the state) and he was talking about how the world is filled with such misery. This terrible world. I had to jump in. We were all driving together and listening to music. There were trees all around and it was one of those summer nights that just tastes good. "I'm afraid you're wrong," I said. Call me naive if you want, but it's my belief that there are far more wonderful things in the world than there are bad things and I believe I've had the world experiences to know the difference. It's when we let the bad creep in that we get into trouble. It's easy to dwell on that kind of thing.
I remember a lot about 9/11. Mostly I remember my mom picking me up from the train, the first one out of New York, and as we drove home we looked at the cars in the lot and silently wondered how many of them belonged to people that would never return. I had never felt that feeling before and haven't felt it since. Such unbelievable sadness and confusion. How could this happen in our beautiful country?
But of course, when we least expect it, there is a silver lining. I don't know about you, but for me, 9/11 made me realize how much I need my family, how much my mother and my sister mean to me and how important it is to live like you really mean it. We almost lost my grandmother just days after, she died on the table and came back to life and is still marching today like she did in her majorette days. And when I went back to New York two weeks later, it was just as people will describe. Small town NYC. Where people smiled at one another, held the door for you and held hands when they gathered regularly to remember. Sounds sappy, but it's true. Bad stuff brings you together like nothing else can and, for me, helps me to sortof understand what The Big Cheese is doing up there when s/he allows such terrible things to happen. While I don't think anyone should have to die the same way those who died on 9/11 did, I still hold true to my beliefs. Terrible things kick us out of that place where we take things for granted. The bad sweetens the good.
Use The Good China,
Jes
