With 9/11 right around the corner, I'll try not to do what I did last year with my posting on Ridecamp, when I think I came very close to "losing" it completely, and I really don't want to get kicked off this site, again, for not following the rules, but I must say this one letter from the person in Romania touched me deeply. I cried a lot last year, like ya'll did, and just when I thought I'd run out of tears over all this, I realized I hadn't. I guess I never will. I have yet to meet someone who hasn't cried over 9/11. I hope I never do. It goes to show that there are Americans all over this world of ours. This Romanian is certainly one of us. It's quite amazing how many true "Americans" aren't even legal citizens of the one country they adore, and this person from Romania definitely fits that category. We must never forget what happened last year and we must never let up on the fact that this is a very real war, even though it's quite different than any other in the history of our country. Please, remember those Americans who are over there looking out for us, because, without them, we would not have the freedom we love and cherish so dearly. Please, if you haven't done so, write to a fellow endurance rider, Capt. Debbie Parsons, USAF (Howard's alma mater), who is over there, and has been there for quite some time now. Let her know that you are thinking of her and wish her well. I can almost guarantee she'll write you back, and you will feel good that you wrote to her. She's one of us, and she's risking her life for you and for me. Here's your one chance to let one of our soldiers, over there, know how grateful you are. Don't let it pass you by. Her email address is parsons@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. Don't be shy; let her know how you feel. It won't take you very long (unless you write like I do). You'll be glad you did. cya, Howard (My new horse is named "American Spirit," in Debbie's honor) ----- Original Message ----- From: superpat Sent: Tuesday, September 03, 2002 4:56 PM To: Ridecamp Subject: [RC] My apologies, Steph I hereby and forever offer my apologies for sending non-endurance related correspondence. I am so proud and priviledged to live in this wonderful country and to share my love of horses and the sport of endurance with Americans I may never, ever see but I know in my heart that we share something even larger than our love of horses and our sport. Pat
>
> It's not very often we get a chance to read what other country's write
about
> us. This comes from a good friend who's grand son is in Special Forces
> today:
>
> Chandra
>
>
> An editorial from Romanian Newspaper: When you think the US isn't thought
> well of all over the world, read this excerpt from a Romanian Newspaper.
>
> ~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. Some of them are nearly
> extinct, others are incompatible with one another, and in matters of
> religious beliefs, not even God can count how many there are.
>
> 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 ontothe 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!"
>
> Silent as a rock, I watched the charity concert broadcast on Saturday
once,
> twice, three times, on different TV channels. There was Clint Eastwood,
> Willy Nelson, Robert de Niro, Julia Roberts, Cassius Clay, Jack Nicholson,
> Bruce Springsteen, Sylvester Stallone, James Wood, and many others whom no
> film or producers could ever bring together. The American's spirit of
> solidarity turned them into a choir. Actually, choir is not the word.
>
> What you could hear was the heavy artillery of the American soul What
> neither George W. Bush, nor Bill Clinton, nor Colin Powell could say
> without facing the risk of stumbling over words and sounds, was being
heard
> in a great and unmistakable way through this charity concert.
>
> I don't know how it happened that all this obsessive singing of America
> didn't sound croaky, nationalist, or ostentatious! It made you green with
> envy because you weren't able to sing for your country without running the
> risk of being considered chauvinist, ridiculous, or suspected of
> who-knows-what ulterior motive.
>
> 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!
>
>
--- Patrice Hupke
--- pahupke@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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