[meteorite-list] Reflection

From: Michael Casper <Michael_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 09:48:59 2004
Message-ID: <00f201c13cb4$ab18e5c0$0200a8c0_at_Domain>

Dear friends throughout the world,

I was in the cafeteria of my elementary school in my hometown of Dallas,
Texas as a 6th grader on 22 November 1963 when I learned that President John
F. Kennedy was assassinated. School was dismissed early that day and my
best friend Kim Davis and I walked home together without speaking. My
parents were at work and neither of us wanted to go to her house, so the two
of us sat mostly in silence on my front porch for the rest of the afternoon.
We both had just turned 11 years old. We cried a lot, and when we did talk,
it was to ask how this could happen where we lived - in our city. We also
asked each other over and over what was going to happen now? I have never,
ever forgotten how I felt on that day. Somehow Kim and I both knew that the
world in which we had awoken that morning no longer existed. And we were
afraid.

There was no Internet in those days. There wasn't even color television
yet. People looked at the second hands on their clocks/watches when making
a long distance telephone call because that was such an expensive thing to
do.

On Tuesday morning, watching the horrific events unfolding in New York City,
just 250 miles from where we live, I experienced the emotions of all those
many years ago. Why? Why? Why? My purpose for writing this is not to
rehash anger, demand retaliation or denounce anyone . . . my feelings in
that regard are strong, but will remain private. I write this to say that
the Internet is truly a remarkable venue. I cannot think of any one single
piece of technology that has allowed the world to come together as a family
. . . both in times of joy and in times of sorrow. I remember all the
congratulatory emails that have poured forth as list members have found
meteorites, had babies, had birthdays, etc. I have read, with tears in my
eyes, all the wonderful tributes to Darryl Futrell's family at his recent
passing. Over the years, I have seen list members argue, debate, defile one
another, kiss and make up, be supportive of each other, express admiration
of each other . . . you name it and I believe we have all seen it here.

This forum has evolved from a "list" to a global family. I read with tears
in my eyes all the supportive emails that those of us in America have
received from members throughout the world. This group is like any other
family . . . we may fight and bicker amongst ourselves, but when one of us
is wronged, all are wronged.

>From New York and from the United States of America . . . thank you to you
all. We are strong. We are survivors. We are grateful to all those those
have come to our aid. We mourn and pray for all those people who are lost
or missing . . . and whose families grieve. The world in which we all awoke
on Tuesday morning is no longer. Justice will be done. Those who must pay
will pay. And then we must all build a better world . . . together.

May God have mercy on us all.

Cathi Casper
Received on Thu 13 Sep 2001 08:31:58 PM PDT