E Pluribus Unum is the motto of the United States, bestowed upon us by our founding fathers. It means, “Out of many, one.” On a day like 9/11, as we remember all those whose lives were senselessly ripped from this earth, as we feel only a whisper of the endless sadness of those left behind, as we contemplate the physical and emotional tolls that to this day add to the burdens of many, it is also difficult to forget both the immediate and profound reactions evinced by so many in this country. But New York was, and remains, special.
New York can be a hard place. It is unreasonably hot and humid in summer, and biting cold in winter. If one compared the people of New York to the people of California, one would find marked differences in such cultural influence as what is considered casual wear, office attire, or evening wear. One may also notice that, when walking down a busy NYC street, a fair few people would just as soon smack you as smile at you. It’s a toss up, really. But New York City proved something on 9/11. They proved that when the shit hits the fan, there are no more white people or black people or brown people or Asian people. There are no Catholics or Atheists. There is no difference between a guy who routinely eats at McDonald’s and a couple who frequents the swankiest restaurant in town for five course meals. There was no difference between a Democrat and a Republican. There was only a monstrous catastrophe that served as a great equalizer. It demanded immediate, decisive action. That action was not going to be immediate from the government. That action came from our first responders who did not hesitate to risk their lives to help others and who, in the process of saving other peoples’ lives lost their own. It came from strangers strong enough to stand and help.
On 9/11, New Yorkers did not identify with their individual race, sex, color, creed, religion. They were all Americans. They were all New Yorkers. On that day and many to follow, we, Americans, were all New Yorkers. Even us California hippies.
E Pluribus Unum.
People who did not even know each other, who all looked different, who may have only minutes before been flipping each other off, suddenly put all their differences aside and held each other for comfort.
Most of us come equipped with very powerful tools: Empathy, kindness, care, maybe even a sense of nurturing. What is interesting is that people from all walks of life, in the face of horror, gawking in disbelief, experiencing the instant loss of thousands of souls, brought out the tendrils of entanglement in everyone. Those pieces of every human that are universal–and those tendrils intertwined to create a rope much more difficult to break than each individual’s tendrils alone. You can be the staunchest republican or outspoken democrat. You can argue like cats and dogs on any given day. But once entangled, you can begin to see bits of humanity in one another. You discover you root for the same football team, or you enjoy a good argument about who is going to win the Stanley cup this year. Perhaps you both like gardening or movies or going to the opera or eating exotic food. You not only bond over a shared catastrophic experience, you bond over other little things. Those little things have the potential to grow. But more importantly, they give us a reminder that everyone has their own challenges, their hopes, goals and desires.
They provide an excellent reminder of our shared humanity. They give us reason to scratch below the surface. They give us hope.
E Pluribus Unum.
Happy September 12th.
Ericka's 'Verse 
Leave a comment