I lit this candle late this evening, September 11, 2003.

Last year, I had the chance to visit the crash site at Shanksville, PA.

This year, on the second anniversary of the tragedy, I attended an Interfaith Dinner, with leaders from various of the campus' religious groups in attendance. Unfortunately, no leader from Islam was represented (nor from the Hindu religion, nor Buddhism). An Islamicist from Colgate University was invited, but was otherwise engaged at a similar event there.

The dinner and discussion were nice, its participants earnest, sometimes emotional, exceedingly respectful. I came to realize how hurt I still am, two years later, and how exasperated I am at how self-righteous, damaging and unproductive our government's response has been through now.

For this year's tribute, I chose to show you all where I am today (click slideshow for the photo journal). I've been absent from the web for such a long while, since some horrific experiences within the last year necessitated a hiatus.

It's been a most difficult year. But I think I've finally begun to come out of it, here in this place where people are cheerful, magnanimous, organized, erudite, warm by instinct. Just like Oberlin. On that day last spring when I actually got a welcome packet -- with housing help, an orientation schedule, a map for heaven's sake -- I realized, with a stroke of lightning, that this is civilization in academia. I'm back in a place where I belong.

Slideshow | Falling Into Place

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