Posted by Bob Valvano on September 12, 2001 at 21:01:04:
As I get ready for what is among the most sad and heavy hearted air shifts I will ever do, some thoughts...
1) Allan...your opening comments on this site are absolutely as perfect as can be given the awful circumstances...you are to be commended (and if, as you read this post, you have not seen them, they are worth going to the home page to read them.)
2) As I don't get off air until 2 am and don't usually wake until about 11 am, the attacks happened essentially in the middle of my "night"...I was awakened by the wailing of my wife who watched the 2nd plane live on TV, and candidly I am somewhat amazed at how shaken I remain...I was almost physically ill at the time, and am not as much "better" as I would hope, these 38 hours later...having said that, reading many of the thoughtful posts here on this site has made it more bearable...I bring that up ONLY because I am certain I speak for many, many people who visit here a lot more regularly than I do...the thoughtful comments are appreciated and helpful, and if you are one of the posters of this type of message, it is perhaps more appreciated than you may know.
It is at these dark times often that the human spirit finds its strongest expression.
Albert Schweitzer said ,"In every one's life, at some time, their inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be grateful for those who rekindle our inner spirit."
And, with so many whose flames have been doused, we again have reason to thank the rekindlers.