NINE-ELEVEN

TWO THOUSAND ONE, NINE ELEVEN (2001-911)

Two thousand one, nine eleven Three thousand plus arrive in heaven
As they pass through the gate, Thousands more appear in wait
A bearded man with stovepipe hat Steps forward saying, "Lets sit, lets chat"
They settle down in seats of clouds A man named Martin shouts out proud
"I have a dream!" and once he did The Newcomer said, "Your dream still lives."

Groups of soldiers in blue and gray Others in khaki, and green then say
"We're from Bull Run, Yorktown, the Maine" The Newcomer said, "You died not in vain."

From a man on sticks one could hear "The only thing we have to fear.
The Newcomer said, "We know the rest, Trust us sir, we've passed that test."
"Courage doesn't hide in caves You can't bury freedom, in a grave,"
The Newcomers had heard this voice before A distinct Yankees twang from Hyannisport shores

A silence fell within the mist Somehow the Newcomer knew that this
Meant time had come for her to say What was in the hearts of the five thousand plus that day
"Back on Earth, we wrote reports, Watched our children play in sports
Worked our gardens, sang our songs Went to church and clipped coupons
We smiled, we laughed, we cried, we fought Unlike you, great we're not"
The tall man in the stovepipe hat Stood and said, "Don't talk like that!
Look at your country, look and see You died for freedom, just like me"

Then, before them all appeared a scene Of rubbled streets and twisted beams
Death, destruction, smoke and dust And people working just 'cause they must
Hauling ash, lifting stones, Knee deep in hell, but not alone
"Look! Blackman, Whiteman, Brownman, Yellowman Side by side helping their fellow man!"
So said Martin, as he watched the scene "Even from nightmares, can be born a dream."
Down below three firemen raised The colors high into ashen haze
The soldiers above had seen it before On Iwo Jimaback in '45

The man on sticks studied everything closely Then shared his perceptions on what he saw mostly
"I see pain, I see tears, I see sorrow -- but I don't see fear."
"You left behind husbands and wives Daughters and sons and so many lives
Are suffering now because of this wrong But look very closely. You're not really gone.
All of those people, even those who've never met you
All of their lives, they'll never forget you

Don't you see what has happened?
Don't you see what you've done? You've brought them together, together as one.
With that the man in the stovepipe hat said "Take my hand," and from there he led
Three thousand plus heroes, Newcomers to heaven On this day, two thousand one, nine eleven

Author UNKNOWN (What a shame!)

Ode To America

We rarely get a chance to see another country's editorial about the USA Read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper. The article was written by Mr. Cornel Nistorescuand published under the title "C"ntarea Americii, meaning "Ode To America" in the Romanian newspaper Evenimentulzilei "The Daily Event" or "News of the Day".

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

~An Ode to America~

Why are Americans so united? They would not resemble one another even if you painted them all one color! They speak all the languages of the world and form an astonishing mixture of civilizations and religious beliefs. Still, the American tragedy turned three hundred million people into a hand put on the heart.

Nobody rushed to accuse the White House, the army, and the secret services that they are only a bunch of losers. Nobody rushed to empty their bank accounts. Nobody rushed out onto the streets nearby to gape about.

The Americans volunteered to donate blood and to give a helping hand. After the first moments of panic, they raised their flag over the smoking ruins, putting on T-shirts, caps and ties in the colors of the national flag. They placed flags on buildings and cars as if in every place and on every car a government official or the president was passing. On every occasion, they started singing their traditional song: "God Bless America!"

I watched the live broadcast and rerun after rerun for hours listening to the story of the guy who went down one hundred floors with a woman in a wheelchair without knowing who she was, or of the Californian hockey player, who gave his life fighting with the terrorists and prevented the plane from hitting a target that could have killed other hundreds or thousands of people.

How on earth were they able to respond united as one human being? Imperceptibly, with every word and musical note, the memory of some turned into a modern myth of tragic heroes. And with every phone call, millions and millions of dollars were put in a collection aimed at rewarding not a man or a family, but a spirit, which no money can buy.

What on earth can unite the Americans in such a way? Their land? Their galloping history? Their economic Power? Money? I tried for hours to find an answer, humming songs and murmuring phrases with the risk of sounding commonplace. I thought things over, but I reached only one conclusion... Only freedom can work such miracles.

Cornel Nistorescu

Letter From IRS Customer

The Honorable Paul S. Sarbanes
309 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC , 20510

Dear Senator Sarbanes,

As a native Marylander and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contacted the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stem from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years. I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out.

Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year. Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as "in-state" tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car.

If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal ( retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent,

Pete McGlaughlin

This should be etched in stone someplace.

In case we find ourselves starting to believe all the anti-American sentiment and negativity, we should remember England's Prime Minister Tony Blair's words during a recent interview.

When asked by one of his Parliament members why he believes so much in America, he said:

"A simple way to take measure of a country is to look at how many want in ... and how many want out."

American GI

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.

He stays up for days on end.
_________________________

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.

He goes days or weeks without running water.
__________________________

You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.

He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.
__________________________

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.

He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.
__________________________

You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.

He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.
__________________________

You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.

He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.
__________________________

You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.

He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.
__________________________

You complain about how hot it is.

He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his
brow.
__________________________

You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.

He doesn't get to eat today.
__________________________

Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.

He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.
__________________________

You go to the mall and get your hair redone.

He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.
__________________________

You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.

He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.
__________________________

You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.

He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.
__________________________

You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.

He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.
__________________________

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.

He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet
__________________________

You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.

He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.
__________________________

You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.

He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.
__________________________

You see only what the media wants you to see.

He sees the broken bodies lying around him.
__________________________

You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.

He does exactly what he is told.
__________________________

You stay at home and watch TV.

He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.
__________________________

You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.

He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.
__________________________

You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.

If only there were more men like him!


Only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you,
Jesus Christ and the American G. I.
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom!

Create Your Own Mission Statement For Your Personal And Professional Life

by Denis Waitley

Two of life's greatest tragedies are:

Never to have had a great mission in life; and to have fully reached it so there is no challenge remaining. Are you going where you want to go, doing what you want to do, and becoming who you want to become? These are the questions we must ask ourselves. Set some quiet time aside after you have finished this program and see the two you's in the mirror of your mind:

1. There is the reflection of the person you are today.

2. There is the image of who you will be in the future.

Looking at my own life, I am incredibly different in many respects from the person I was ten years ago. As you reflect on your past and anticipate the future, understand that virtually nothing you have experienced has been wasted. It all blends together into wisdom and knowledge, and creates your own unique brand of cultural diversity.

Action Idea:

In your professional life, what is most important for you to achieve in the remainder of career?

In your personal life, what is most important for you to achieve in the remainder of your life?

Find a close friend or associate you trust and network with often, and challenge each other to continuously strive to reach these objectives.

As you consider your mission in life, you may want to use this final action step, Number Twenty-one, as your guidepost for the 21st Century: Chase Your Passion, Not Your Pension. Passion in your purpose will help you take control of your life, and also give you one other advantage that is not widely recognized: About ten more years of life, on average. Pursuit of a goal wears out very few people. But they rust out by the hundreds of thousands when their pursuit of happiness turns into a geriatric park.

A job is something you do for money. A career is something you do because you have an inner calling to do it. You want to do it. You love doing it. You're excited when you do it. And you'd do it even if you were paid nothing beyond food and the basics. You'd do it because it's your life.

A Great Recipe

Prescribed by the Great Physician
****************************

~*~A GREAT RECIPE~*~

Fold two hands together,
And express a dash of sorrow.
Marinate it overnight,
And work on it tomorrow.

Chop one grudge in tiny pieces,
Add several cups of love.
Dredge with a large sized smile,
Mix with the ingredients above.

Dissolve the hate within you,
By doing a good deed.
Cut in and help your friend,
If he/she should be in need.

Stir in laughter, love and kindness,
From the heart it has to come.
Toss with genuine forgiveness,
And give your friends some.

The amount of people served,
Will depend on you.
It can serve the whole wide world.
If you really want it to!!!

author unknown