A Tribute to September 11th--a jimmyblog
posted September 11, 2009 - 7:23pmHello and welcome to my very first Xomba.com jimmyblog! What a momentous occasion, given that today is the eighth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. And, it is this date in history that is the surrounding theme of today's jimmyblog. More specifically, I'm going to tell you about two individuals who have substantially different biographies, yet they both have an interesting aligning correlation with the date September 11. Additionally, both of these men’s stories tie-in with a biblical message--or more modernly, a Byrd’s song--that reveals that we can all look forward with promise for better times ahead.
To everything there is a season . . .
On September 11, 2001, Stephen Jay Gould and his mother had planned to visit Ellis Island because that day marked a significant anniversary for their family. On that same day, 100 years earlier, Gould's grandfather arrived in the New World from Hungary. His grandfather jotted a very simple, but profound message in a book that is still in the Gould family’s possession after all this time: His grandfather’s words resounded on the page: "I have landed. Sept. 11 1901."
Stephen Jay Gould reflected on the significance behind those three monosyllabic words. It was a brand new life for his grandfather, a new and exciting journey that was mirrored by millions of new Americans throughout that era. Many immigrants and young Americans wrote or thought the same thing, "We have landed. We have made it. We are here . . .” It was those immigrants that begat generations of hard-working Americans, who worked to build America. American cities. New York City. And, it was New York City that was at the forefront of terror eight years ago today.
Stephen Jay Gould didn't get to visit his grandpa’s American landing that day because his plane had to land elsewhere during the turmoil. Instead, he wrote a very passionate article on the World Trade Center Ground Zero Relief website (www.wtcgroundzerorelief.org), recounting that day; but also inspiring (and reminding) everyone that we as Americans have landed, just as his grandpa did 100 years ago that day. And, quoting Ecclesiastes in the article, he gives resolve:
To everything there is a season, and time to every purpose under the heaven.
A time to be born, and time to die
A time to plant, and time to pluck up what is planted
A time to kill, and time to heal
A time to break down, and time to build up
A time to weep, and time to laugh
A time to mourn, and time to dance
A time to throw away stones, and time to gather stones together
A time to embrace and time to refrain from embracing
A time to seek, and time to lose
A time to keep, and time to throw away
A time to tear, and a time to sew
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak
A time to love and time to hate
A time for war, and a time for peace
Interestingly enough, Stephen Jay Gould was an evolutionary biologist, who developed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972 (wikipedia, Stephen Jay Gould), It's safe to say that he truly had a grasp and appreciation for a biblical passage dealing with the evolution of life such as the seasons.
You are my sunshine . . .
Stephen Jay Gould, born on September 10, 1941, helped develop an evolutional theory in 1972 that suggested the majority of evolution is signified by extended periods of evolutionary stability, that is later emphasized by rare moments of branching evolution. Also in 1972, another event was happening. It was that year when James "Jimmie" Houston Davis was elected into the Country Music Hall of Fame. Many might not recognize Jimmie Davis by his name, but you probably know his song:
You are my sunshine my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
Please don't take my sunshine away.
Jimmie Davis served as governor of Louisiana in the 40s and again in the 60s, and was known as the "Singing Governor", since he had a number one hit in 1945 while in office, and he would campaign by singing songs in various cities across the state. Mr. Davis is known as the longest-living governor in US history--born on--you guessed it --September 11, 1899. He passed away two months after his 101 birthday in November of 2000. He didn't get to see the turmoil that would have been his 102 birthday, however, he too coincidentally talked of the order of life in his own way.
You see, Jimmie didn't just sing about the sun with "You are my Sunshine". He also reached a no. 1 hit singing about the moon:
There's a New Moon Over my Shoulder
There's a new moon over my shoulder and an old love still in my heart
I remember now that I'm older what you told me the day we had to part
You promised with the new moon you'd be coming back to me
Many moons have passed still I'm waiting patiently
There’s a new moon over my shoulder an old love still in my heart.
Jimmie Davis proves that one can start in the most impoverished of situations and live to have a long successful life. He was born extremely poor in the agricultural lands of Louisiana, so poor that it is said he didn't even have a bed until he was nine years old (wikipedia, Jimmie Davis). Yet, he went on in life to find much success as a politician, a musician, the author of his own book, and starred as himself in the movie, Louisiana. He epitomizes the type of American that Stephen Jay Gould wrote about on September 11, 2001, when he couldn't visit his grandfather's arrival at Ellis Island:
"(My grandpa's) story illuminates a beacon that will outshine, in the brightness of hope and goodness, the mad act of spectacular destruction that poisoned his centennial. But his story will prevail by its utter conventionality, not by any claim for unusual courage, pain or suffering. His story is the tale of nearly every American family, beginning with nothing as strangers in a strange land, and eventually prospering, often with delayed gratitude several generations later, by accumulate hard work, achieved in decency and fairness" ( www.wtcgroundzerorelierf.org/article091101.htm ).
These two men, Stephen Jay Gould and Jimmie Houston Davis likely did not know each other. One lived to see the historically devastating day, the other died shortly before it; but they both spoke of basic order of things: The seasons, the sun, and the moon.
Sure, one quoted a Bible passage, another wrote love longs--but their message and their histories are important for us all: We are Americans. We have endured. We will continue to endure as Americans. We face many threats and challenges as a nation and as individuals, but if you look back and honor your family who lived before, and who helped give you the benefits you have now, you'll realize that there is sunshine when skies are grey, there is a new moon over our shoulder, and for everything there is a season; and yes, America has landed.
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Welcome!
Welcome to Xomba!
Great first article!
Keep up the good work!
Kristen Malmed
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