A Better Death

I'm sure many of you have seen this pic before. This is a pic of a man jumping out of the World Trade Center on that fateful day (9/11/2001) in New York. Back then this picture had me in total shock for months and even now I still haven't gotten used to it. Everytime I look at this pic, I feel a fresh sadness for that man (and the the rest of 200+ men and women who were forced to jump to their deaths that day). This pic is a very special pic in the sense that alot of journalists later tried to find out the identity of this person but didn't really succeed. More than that, what this pic tells me is whoever it is, he shows true courage and grace even at the hands of death. Look at the way he is falling. So quiet, peaceful, full of grace and strength. It's not what death is portrayed to be. We all have this fear within us when we hear the word 'Death'. But he doesn't seem to be fearing death, neither is he screaming or struggling. He's just quiet and down he goes, down, down, down to the hands of something that'd handle him 'better' than the raging fires inside the building. He still shows hope, absolute stillness and a 'better' choice of death for him at that point of time. I know that there are(were) many people who suffer(ed) around the world because of terrorism but this kind of death is beyond imagination. Where one is forced to commit suicide! I find it difficult to even imagine his horror and pain when he had to make that ultimate decision of his life, perhaps within 10 or 15mins and that too just to die?? Just imagine facing a situation like this where you're being 'executed' (for nothing) and you only get the choice of the way you die (as if that's any comfort). I think in that kind of situation I too would have done what he did 'cos I don't want to burn alive. Human courage is immeasurable. What would you have done if you had no way out of that building that day?

Since it's getting close to the rememebrance of that fateful day and it's many victims, I'd like to dedicate this post to all innocents who perished on 9/11...to all those who had nothing to do with this stupid war but had to pay the ultimate price for it...to all those who's cries went unheard till their last breath...to all those who left their loved-ones behind right in front of their eyes...and to Joanne Ahladiotis. I know Joanne's cousin and we became friends after 9/11. I had to reach out to someone, to share their pain so Joanne was my choice. Joanne was only 27 and worked as a Systems Analyst for eSpeed, Cantor Fitzgerald on level 104- similar to what I do and her personality sounded alot like mine too. She left her beloved mother and sister behind. Apparently on that day staff at her office were getting retrenched . She had told her mum the night before that she was in fear of losing her job. Instead she died that day. Life is as fragile as that drop of water hanging from a leaf. The sun and the moon are forever but you and me are not. Never forget that Joanne was here.

Current Music: Hello by Evanescence