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In New Orleansby Dan Whitney
I flew from California to New Orleans on Sunday the 9th of September. Kissing and hugging my wife and two little girls was still fresh on my mind. I travel a lot for business and here I was again going to another business meeting which would have little to no effect on my life... or so I thought. On December 16th, 2000 I broke my neck while Mountain Bike riding in northern California. I was told that I would never move below the neck and walking was not even remotely possible. Nothing short of a miracle, by the time I headed to New Orleans, I was not only moving, but walking. My whole world had changed because of that event and all the focus at the meeting I was attending was on how miraculously I had healed. One tiny life (mine) seemed to have a profound effect on all attendees. On the morning of September 11th, that focus changed. My broken neck had become incredibly insignificant. As I watched the TV from my hotel room, I witnessed the most heinous act of terrorism known to mankind. I watched and listened as the airplanes did their damage. The first reports were that over 30 thousand could be dead. Thank God the number was 1/10th smaller. We've all focused on the number of people killed, but what about the people that were injured? How many people broke their necks, backs, legs...? How many people are suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or some other nervous disorder that has a complete grip on their lives? What about all the people that wake up from horrid nightmares from having seen the damage firsthand? My broken neck became pretty insignificant, but it didn't change the fact that I still struggle to get through every single day with a disability. When you stop to remember the dead, please remember the forgotten living. God Bless America! (Copyright 2002 Dan Whitney.) |
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