The following is the column I wrote for jewish.com on September 12, 2001, entitled Wall Street Paper. It is as relevant today as it was ten years ago.
Part of me is this wildly creative person who thrives on word play and music, Bach and double entendre. That half of me loves to travel, eat in strange places, talk to people I have never seen before and likely will never see again. I understand Mozart when he said he could hear a complete symphony in one breathtaking moment, then sit down and put it all on paper. The artistic part of my brain cherishes nourishment.
But then there is another aspect of my personality that people either know very, very well, or not at all. I like order. I like my financial records to be in perfect shape. I like personnel files to be kept in secure storage. I like well-conceived procedure guides that define business processes. Succinctly.
When glued to my television along with the rest of the world, that orderly side of me could not help noticing the unbelievable quantity of paper that escaped the World Trade Center towers without being incinerated. It is not a stretch to assume that among the white sheets on the ground, one could have found employment contracts, stock certificates, drafts of legal briefs, and confidential memoranda.
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9/11. Show all posts
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
History: October through December 2001
December 27, 2001
Well, the well-worn and horribly romantic image of a writer writing and pacing and drinking himself silly sure has taken a hit this year. Writing is proving to be much more of a "job" than anyone ever lets on. A job, to be sure, that I wouldn't trade for anything. And that, my friends, is a great place to be.
December 20, 2001
Finished a "markets" piece for Children's Writer Newsletter. Researched which publishers are looking for adventure pieces in 2002 and early 2003. This means I'll be able to seriously pick up where I left off on White Rose work. Hopefully very soon! Nothing like a short absence to make me ready to go again. How is it that after all these years, their story still has the power to make me cry?
November 29, 2001
Birthday tomorrow reminds me that we all get older and slower, no matter what we do or where we live. Oh well. Enjoying the journey, and that is what matters most.
November 22, 2001
So much to be thankful for, and I don't even mean the "biggies". Strong sense this year of needing to understand that so much that I am "thankful" for comes at the expense of others who receive little or no wage (much less thanks) for their labor.
November 1, 2001
We are coming up so quickly on the 63rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of breaking glass, that awful pogrom that signaled the irrevocable beginnings of the Shoah. In these days when our own society can feel like it is standing on equivalent quicksand, we need to hear the words of Paul Spiegel, President of the German Jewish Council, spoken last November 9 in Berlin.
October 18, 2001
The worst thing to come of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon has been the willingness of too many citizens to voluntarily hand over civil liberties in exchange for what is perceived as "security" ...
This is a dangerous world view. We can fight external enemies. It has never been difficult to rally Americans to genuine jeopardy from abroad. But if we let go of the things that make us special ~ the right to freely assemble, the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds even if our opinions buck conventional wisdom and White House spin ~ we may as well surrender now. For we will have already lost.
Well, the well-worn and horribly romantic image of a writer writing and pacing and drinking himself silly sure has taken a hit this year. Writing is proving to be much more of a "job" than anyone ever lets on. A job, to be sure, that I wouldn't trade for anything. And that, my friends, is a great place to be.
December 20, 2001
Finished a "markets" piece for Children's Writer Newsletter. Researched which publishers are looking for adventure pieces in 2002 and early 2003. This means I'll be able to seriously pick up where I left off on White Rose work. Hopefully very soon! Nothing like a short absence to make me ready to go again. How is it that after all these years, their story still has the power to make me cry?
November 29, 2001
Birthday tomorrow reminds me that we all get older and slower, no matter what we do or where we live. Oh well. Enjoying the journey, and that is what matters most.
November 22, 2001
So much to be thankful for, and I don't even mean the "biggies". Strong sense this year of needing to understand that so much that I am "thankful" for comes at the expense of others who receive little or no wage (much less thanks) for their labor.
November 1, 2001
We are coming up so quickly on the 63rd anniversary of Kristallnacht, the night of breaking glass, that awful pogrom that signaled the irrevocable beginnings of the Shoah. In these days when our own society can feel like it is standing on equivalent quicksand, we need to hear the words of Paul Spiegel, President of the German Jewish Council, spoken last November 9 in Berlin.
October 18, 2001
The worst thing to come of the bombing of the World Trade Center and Pentagon has been the willingness of too many citizens to voluntarily hand over civil liberties in exchange for what is perceived as "security" ...
This is a dangerous world view. We can fight external enemies. It has never been difficult to rally Americans to genuine jeopardy from abroad. But if we let go of the things that make us special ~ the right to freely assemble, the right to dissent, the right to speak our minds even if our opinions buck conventional wisdom and White House spin ~ we may as well surrender now. For we will have already lost.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
