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Never in my worst nightmares could I imagine the horrific events of September 11, 2001, yet
I was filled with dread since May after seeing the bombed remains of the Acropolis in
Greece. The Ancient Greeks built the most prosperous, beautiful, artistic civilization
known to humankind. Their reward? 18 centuries of attack from a variety of jealous
enemies. I worried how America’s beautiful dream would be tested.
The Greeks were at the height of a renaissance of thought and human advancement when they
were attacked and have been fighting a variety of enemies continually for centuries. And
they invented the democratic process we are willing to fight and die for 20 centuries
later. I visited the Library of Congress two weeks ago and visited the personal library
of Thomas Jefferson, which is on display there. A substantial portion of his library was
filled with the writings of Greek statesman, playwrights, poets and philosophers.
I also stood on a 12th story balcony of the J.W. Marriott right next to the White House
and had a perfect view of the Capitol and Lincoln Memorial, sitting on a hill and looking
almost identical to the view of the Temple of Haphestus from the Acropolis, except
without the bomb damage I told some friends prophetically that evening. As I appreciated
the balmy beautiful wind from the balcony and a gorgeous August night, I could not take my
eyes off the view below. Despite the most incredible display of food to tempt us on the
outdoor balcony and the warm camaraderie of friends we hadn’t seen in a while, several of
us would break away from the party from time to time to be alone with this view.
Washington D.C. never felt more glamorous. Little did we know that we were appreciating
the last moments of an era, for life in two short weeks would irrevocably change.
The one thing that has given me comfort in this horrific tragedy is the resilient,
warm-hearted spirit of the Greek people I met on my trip. They have endured countless
tragedies but still retain their open, kind, generous spirits. And finally, they feel
safe to rebuild the Acropolis area in earnest. They are sorting through debris fields of
rubble, which have rested for hundreds of years. Archaeologists are sorting through the
remains, and cranes move the monumental stones to predetermined spaces, putting back
together a vast jigsaw puzzle and guessing the placements without the help of the creators
more than a couple thousand years deceased.
I trotted up to a few of workers at the Acropolis and enthusiastically asked them if they
were hoping to repair much of the destruction before the 2004 Olympics in Athens. They
responded, “yes" in hushed whispers, frightened they may be tempting fate once again. I
want nothing more than to be there with them in their time of glory and encourage each
American to stand in solidarity with our Greek friends. Their democratic dreams won’t be
destroyed, nor will ours. As a symbol of hope, I have included a photo of a wheel barrel
at the base of the Parthenon. They are rebuilding and so can we.
I learned much about patience and compassion during my trip. If someone rushes pass you
quickly in their car in Greece, the response is, “I hope they’re okay. They must’ve had
an emergency." In America, they may have been met with a barrage of expletives or
violence.
In light of this tragedy, Americans will need to cherish patience and thoughtfulness, to
take care of each other a lot better than we have. We are basically a compassionate,
generous people, but will be even more so with the blinders of self-absorption removed.
Volunteer and help any way you can. Donate time, money, blood to organizations such as
the Red Cross. Take action and know that one person can change history, like the heroes of
Flight 93 who challenged the hijackers and prevented the plane from hitting the White
House, Capitol or another target where hundreds of other innocent lives would have been
lost. Join the National Guard. Help the F.B.I. We can all make a difference.
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"September 11, 2001"
