> The deaths of thousands is emotionally devastating. The heroic sacrifices of ordinary people is a flood of...I don't know what -- encouragement? Blessing? Hope? Healing?
>
> I think most of us wonder how we would hold up under conditions like that. But we all hope we never have to face that test. How very grateful we should be to those who meet that test with courage and prevail.

Bear with me here while I try to explain this in writing. I think that nearly all of us have probably seen a glimpse of how we'd hold up under those conditions, simply because we have all managed to carry on in our own ways. Those who had the time to spare went into RinkChat to both seek out and offer comfort. I've been too busy, but when I briefly went into Chat, there were 22 people in there at a time when there are normally half that number. On the morning of the attack, the question of the hour was, "Are Faux_Pas and his wife OK?" In the face of tragedy and disaster, people came into Chat out of concern for others. That in itself is an impressive tribute to both RinkDinks and to mankind as a whole.

I do not mean to trivialize the recent events in America, but simply to admire the fact that so many people are remaining strong in the face of catastrophic tragedy. Those who have returned to their jobs are making it so that their tasks get done. This makes it possible for other jobs to be finished, and somwhere in the process, it makes the rescue effort run more smoothly.

In addition, by standing strong and going on, we are proving ourselves as individuals that make up one large, loyal country. I am quite sure that the masterminds behind this attack are watching the world react to it. And I'm also sure that it is being made clear that we are not defeated. People from nearly every part of the globe are in shock and are trying to find ways to help.