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Special Issue:
September 11, 2001 Tragedy
My Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I awoke this morning at 4:38 a.m. in the still, quiet, peaceful
warm place of my home. This is about 2 hours before my normal time
to rise. I am haunted with the images in my mind of what we have
all seen over the last 48 hours on network television, CNN and in
the newspapers. Just two days ago at this time, we were a country
that was concerned about uncertain corporate earnings, a slide in
the DOW JONES average and whether our team won on opening day of
the NFL. Now, those matters seem so trivial by comparison. As I
look back on it, the waters were very still and running very deep.
We all handle the trauma of cataclysmic events like the World Trade
Center attacks differently. I suppose for me, the utter dismay and
disbelief of the event kept me in a protective state of shock during
the last two days. It is only now that I am able to begin to sort
through my emotions of this tragedy. The pictures that have been
etched in my brain of this event have given me nightmares and a
restless spirit.
I cannot begin to imagine the intense feeling of loss that the
families and friends of the victims must have. I wonder if they
have experienced the profound anger at this event yet. Personally,
I feel as though my house has been robbed, I have been assaulted
and the perpetrator has spit in my face.
I think President Bush said it best, when he said this has been
"an attack on humanity." The sheer disregard for human
life and humankind exhibited by these jerks is beyond my comprehension.
While this horrific event has taken place on American soil, I still
want to believe that we are a world community and that we are all
connected in ways that borders, walls, oceans and treaties cannot
rightly divide. For the families of the victims, the thought of
a world community may be way off base right now. They probably want
justice, retaliation, fairness, equity and answers. I suppose the
thing they want most is to turn back the hands of time just to have
a chance to warn their loved ones of the impending danger. I think
we all want that, too. It seems that they are entitled to feel that
way for as long as they need to. I have compassion and sympathy
for their feeling. I hope and pray that they will get comfort and
solace in any way they can.
At this point in time, I am not sure if I know any of the victims.
I have some family and acquaintances in the Tri-State area and as
far as I know, they are safe. If any of you have connections to
this tragedy, I want to offer my sincere condolences to you and
your family. And though they may never read this letter, I want
to express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.
Their grief, sorrow and pain must be penetrating their soul.
It seems that at times like this we tend to turn to God in prayer
for comfort and some sort of relief. I believe that we should constantly
pray for wisdom and direction from our creator in all matters. However,
at times like this, the privilege to pray to our Creator has many
benefits. One is that he provides answers in many forms for tragedies
like this and he also imparts to us ways and means to handle the
situation and carry on with our lives. The power of prayer knows
no boundaries. Paraphrasing the Bible, it says, "for whatever
it is that we pray, pray for God's wisdom to prevail and for his
purpose to be carried out".
At some point in the near future, we will turn the corner on this
event and life will pick up where it left off for most of us. For
the families of the victims, life will never be the same. My sincere
hope is that each of us takes a moment to reflect on the reality
that we never know what events may change our life. That is why
it is incumbent upon us to live each day with purpose and passion,
for it may be the last, as we know it.
The silver lining in this dark cloud is that, in time, we will
be reminded of the tremendous will and courage of the human spirit.
The rescue teams exemplify this. The survivor stories are testimony
to this. And most of all, the families of the victims will pick
up the fragmented pieces of their broken lives, put them back together
and eventually move on to do this thing we so love to do. LIVE.
While this is a departure from my normal business and marketing
writing, I want to thank you for giving me a forum to share what
is really important. That is the essence of humanity and the privilege
to live in a free society where we can openly express ourselves.
Take great care of yourself and your loved ones.
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September 13, 2001
Paul
Montelongo
"America's Construction Industry Motivator"
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