WHAT IS HAPPENING???
On Saturday I had a gig in the Jersey Shore area. I had seen on the news that morning that a bomb had detonated at a charity race about twenty miles south of where my show was to be. The show was still on and traffic was not expected to be heavily delayed. So that afternoon I drove straight in that direction, stopping just twenty miles short of that site, and I sang with one of my favorite bands for a beautiful wedding reception.
On the way home (I left there about 9:30pm) I stopped at a rest stop and caught a bit of a news report saying something about an explosion in NYC. Turning on the radio, I learned of the Chelsea bomb as I drove back home, heading straight for NYC and the George Washington Bridge. My final destination was about 45 miles beyond the city.
Once home, I turned on the news and it stayed on all day Sunday too. I quickly learned of the terrible events in a Minnesota mall and just now....
As I sit here writing this on Sunday evening, a "breaking news" report just came on about a suspicious device found in Elizabeth, NJ, where train service has been shut down in an ongoing investigation.
All these events are enough to swallow up my spirit. I think of war torn parts of the world where this kind of activity is the norm - terrible. How do we keep a positive mindset when it seems like all hell is breaking loose? What is there to think when it seems like the "bad guys" are getting a leg up - or even winning?
I suppose I'm in search mode. I am actively seeking good thoughts to grasp onto. I'm trying to remember that people ARE coming together and helping each other. Neighbors are checking on each other. Families are checking on their loved ones. What about those amazing first responders and brave souls who rush in when others rush away for safety? I'm clinging to those thoughts. I'm making a deliberate effort to seek out the good. There was an inspiring group of Somalian community leaders who made very positive statements at a press conference in Minnesota that echoes in my mind.
There are so many people working to promote love and understanding, even and especially in the midst of unimaginable chaos. In my experience on Saturday, sandwiched between two bombings was a wedding, a beautiful celebration of love. At that family gathering there was a coming together of souls. We sang songs like "We Are Family," and during "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" Joe (the male lead singer) had the whole audience chanting "Let's change the world" as an improvised ad-lib.
Although world happenings can make me feel weary, I will remember the power we all hold to effect change. I'll remember all the good people and be inspired to take action accordingly. I won't get swallowed up in anger or blame. There IS good to be found. God Bless all those who haven't given up hope or faith. God Bless us all as we face those internal stirrings that can challenge our nature.
This Monday morning we learned of a manhunt, a suspect and a capture.
There were no fatalities from the multiple bombings. Stabbing victims in Minnesota have all survived. Two homeless people found the Elizabeth, NJ bomb and notified police before any explosion. The race in Seaside Park, NJ had been delayed so that no runners were passing at the time that the bomb there detonated. Other bombs that were found did not detonate as intended. A bar owner notified police when a man fitting the suspect's description was found sleeping in his doorway. The suspect was then apprehended after shooting an officer whose life was likely saved by his bullet proof vest.
Yes. There are Blessings to be found.
Namaste,
T
"I think it is important to remember what terrorists and violent extremists are trying to do. They are trying to hurt innocent people, but they also want to inspire fear in all of us, and disrupt the way we live to undermine our values... We all have a role to play as citizens in making sure that we don't succumb to that fear. And there is no better example of that than the people of New York and New Jersey." - President Barack Obama
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