Not just another 09/11...

The following is an e-mail I sent to a number of friends, last September, while visiting a US Naval base at Souda Bay, Crete, after completing the first leg of a solo-kayaking trip around that island.

Dear Friends- As most of you know, I am here on the island of Crete, just off the southern coast of Greece.  Crete is a place I have come to love for its people, its beauty and for the incredible sea kayaking. I am paddling three of Crete’s four coasts, in an effort to create an awareness to raise funds so desperately needed for pediatric cancer research.  My trip is in memory of Kira Arney, a sweet beautiful young girl who died from a malignant brain tumor July 31, 2006, at her home in Wilmette, IL. Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, where the Kira Arney Fund was established, is at the leading edge in helping children with all sorts of diseases, not just cancer. But as always they and other institutions with similar programs, desperately need more money.  The funds I raise will go to help support brain tumor research at Children’s Memorial.

It is September 11, 2007, and six years ago, to the day, at approximately 8:45 AM, a man walked through the door of the Einstein's Bagels in Evanston IL, where I was having breakfast with a friend. The man announced to his friends at the next table that a plane had just flown into the World Trade Center. I looked up and immediately said... "It was a terrorist". He replied, “No I don't think so." I turned to my friend and said, “There's no way; it was done with purpose. It was intentional”. I quickly left the restaurant and drove to work, just minutes away. I turned on the television and watched and cried and watched for days, and months and years. And yes, we are still watching and at times, still crying.

On this particular 09/11, in the year 2007, while having my breakfast at one of the restaurants at the Souda Bay Naval base, a woman's voice began reading a prepared statement over the public address system. I looked at my watch… it was 8:45 AM. The woman was reminding all of us of those tragic events six years ago.  She mentioned those who were killed directly by the terrorists and those who died fighting to save others- in New York City, at the Pentagon, and high above a farmer’s field, over Pennsylvania. The tragedy of that September 11th, led to an unwarranted and unwanted war, that continues to take the lives of thousands Americans and Iraqis alike.

In today’s world and today’s war, it is no longer a matter of Republican or Democrat.  It is however, the total lack of accountability and credibility, at the highest levels of our government that allows the death to continue. When will someone, somewhere, say... ENOUGH!

Now is the time for true leadership, not just in this country but also in all countries. It is time for the leaders of the world to sit down at a table, across from one another, and unite in a common cause of peace.  No more cowboy slogans. No more tolerating extremist causes that hold the entire world hostage. No more excuses. No more war! It is time for the leaders of the world to unite for peace.

While listening to the voice on the PA system, the sound of military jet aircraft taking off could be heard.  When the voice stopped, everyone in the restaurant waited during a moment of silence (except for the jet engines above).  I then left to go back to my barracks and prepare for a day of kayaking with a group of young sailors.

Walking back, I couldn’t help but notice how clear and blue the sky was. It was going to be a beautiful day.  But it saddened me as I looked around at the mostly young men and women dressed in camouflage uniforms. I couldn’t help thinking of Kira who died at home in peace vs. the dead and injured children around the world in war torn countries. War is expensive, in lives and in dollars.

As our country continues to spend billions and billions of dollars on killing, why not, take a small portion of that money, and put those funds into helping children live an entire life?  Saving the world's children is far more productive and important than world domination or whatever it is that's going on.

Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders.  They are the next generation of politicians who will hopefully be smarter and wiser.  Today’s children are tomorrow’s doctors and researchers who will possibly crack the code and discover a cure for the many cancers that kill so indiscriminately. Yesterday’s children, today’s children, and tomorrow’s children, are Kira Arney, and she and others like her deserve better.

I think it’s important to remember that it’s what we do with our lives that make us better human beings. It shouldn’t be about how many lives we can take.  It should be about living our lives to the fullest and contributing something to make the world a better place.  Kira made her world and everyone in it, better.  For that, I will be forever grateful.

Have a good day and think about something good you can do for someone today.  Peace, Bob

Contact Bob:  info@thebobfile.com