| General Non-Fiction posted September 10, 2023 |
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a poem of tribute reminds me of inherent goodness & Gander
Loving Our Neighbors
by Dawn Munro
7,000 people, and 19 animals were welcomed to The Rock on that horrific day, September 11th., 2001
Never Forget
I grew up in a town in northern Ontario that could have been Gander, Newfoundland, and so when I came across this poem of tribute today, I had to have my say...
My Review
by Dawn Munro,
copyright 2023
There's little I can say to this, a poem writ with love,
except, perhaps, to say these words are scribed from 'up above'...
For who are we to pen a verse, so critics find a flaw?
'Tis angels' authorship for sure, inspiring such awe. :)
~~
This poem was written about Phil Dooley by a local Gander resident, Lisa Butler... My intent in mentioning this more current display of compassion and care is to illustrate that the people of Gander continue to show us that there's nothing complicated about genuine love. The people of Gander responded to a horrific day in a way that told the world what it means to be kind. That day must never be forgotten, and we can all take a lesson from these remarkable folk. It doesn't have to be a day of infamy for a Gander citizen to respond in a way that puts others first, though our hearts might be heavy with grief.
The final video I have included -- part of the play based upon the events of September 11th. (that won aTony award) -- mentions that at one point during what the protagonist thought was an ordinary day, he noticed that everyone around him had suddenly stopped, and all was silent.
They were honoring another country's tragic event.
"A well-known Gander citizen, Phillip "Phil" Dooley, died on Feb. 7, two months shy of his 65th birthday."
"My strongest memories are of shopping carts
You used to push them back to their rightful place.
Everyone knew you, even back then
As a child, I remember your friendly, smiling face.
Folks often heard you before they saw you
Your voice familiar to so many.
You looked for jobs and earned your keep
Working hard and saving every penny.
I remember seeing you on a pedal bike
and a motorbike sometimes too.
Pulling a lawn mower – on a mission
You always had something to do.
Speaking to everyone you passed by
Always a word or two to say.
Something about the weather for sure
or simply "What are you doin' today?"
It's hard to know what to say
to those now left behind.
There's no comfort for aching hearts
Or cure for grieving minds.
In this town known for compassion and love
You exemplified it and so much more.
Phil, you were such a special man
Who we all, in the purest form, adored.
There was no one like you my friend,
And a piece of us all died with you.
Yours was a spirit in true humanity
A heart of gold through and through.
As you rest in peace in the arms of angels
We will honour your life and your legacy.
Thank you for teaching us how to live
With grace, acceptance and genuine humility."
Lisa Butler
Gander
"Air crashes led to 'heightened sense of responsibility'' -- CBC News
When the U.S. closed its airspace soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 238 planes were diverted to Canadian airports. Seventy-five of those were sent to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Gander, with its vast runways, took in 38, according to data from NAV Canada.
Gander's emergency management plan took effect after the province asked all municipalities to create emergency strategies in 1997. In Gander, Moss said, individuals from many different organizations were involved, including key players in the town's 9/11 response from the Red Cross, the Department of Social Services, the hospital, the RCMP and the Salvation Army.
Once Gander's emergency plan was hatched, the team started practising.
"They used to do tabletop exercises, all the group together," Moss said. "'We have declared an emergency of such and such' — they'd call the group together and go through the management of that particular emergency."
At the time, Moss said, plane crashes were top of mind as an emergency that could occur in Gander. And with local tragedies like the 1967 Czech airline crash and the 1985 Arrow Air crash in living memory, Gander knew to take these exercises seriously.
Never Forget
I grew up in a town in northern Ontario that could have been Gander, Newfoundland, and so when I came across this poem of tribute today, I had to have my say...
My Review
by Dawn Munro,
copyright 2023
There's little I can say to this, a poem writ with love,
except, perhaps, to say these words are scribed from 'up above'...
For who are we to pen a verse, so critics find a flaw?
'Tis angels' authorship for sure, inspiring such awe. :)
~~
This poem was written about Phil Dooley by a local Gander resident, Lisa Butler... My intent in mentioning this more current display of compassion and care is to illustrate that the people of Gander continue to show us that there's nothing complicated about genuine love. The people of Gander responded to a horrific day in a way that told the world what it means to be kind. That day must never be forgotten, and we can all take a lesson from these remarkable folk. It doesn't have to be a day of infamy for a Gander citizen to respond in a way that puts others first, though our hearts might be heavy with grief.
"A well-known Gander citizen, Phillip "Phil" Dooley, died on Feb. 7, two months shy of his 65th birthday."
"My strongest memories are of shopping carts
You used to push them back to their rightful place.
Everyone knew you, even back then
As a child, I remember your friendly, smiling face.
Folks often heard you before they saw you
Your voice familiar to so many.
You looked for jobs and earned your keep
Working hard and saving every penny.
I remember seeing you on a pedal bike
and a motorbike sometimes too.
Pulling a lawn mower – on a mission
You always had something to do.
Speaking to everyone you passed by
Always a word or two to say.
Something about the weather for sure
or simply "What are you doin' today?"
It's hard to know what to say
to those now left behind.
There's no comfort for aching hearts
Or cure for grieving minds.
In this town known for compassion and love
You exemplified it and so much more.
Phil, you were such a special man
Who we all, in the purest form, adored.
There was no one like you my friend,
And a piece of us all died with you.
Yours was a spirit in true humanity
A heart of gold through and through.
As you rest in peace in the arms of angels
We will honour your life and your legacy.
Thank you for teaching us how to live
With grace, acceptance and genuine humility."
Lisa Butler
Gander
When the U.S. closed its airspace soon after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 238 planes were diverted to Canadian airports. Seventy-five of those were sent to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Gander, with its vast runways, took in 38, according to data from NAV Canada.
Gander's emergency management plan took effect after the province asked all municipalities to create emergency strategies in 1997. In Gander, Moss said, individuals from many different organizations were involved, including key players in the town's 9/11 response from the Red Cross, the Department of Social Services, the hospital, the RCMP and the Salvation Army.
Once Gander's emergency plan was hatched, the team started practising.
"They used to do tabletop exercises, all the group together," Moss said. "'We have declared an emergency of such and such' — they'd call the group together and go through the management of that particular emergency."
At the time, Moss said, plane crashes were top of mind as an emergency that could occur in Gander. And with local tragedies like the 1967 Czech airline crash and the 1985 Arrow Air crash in living memory, Gander knew to take these exercises seriously.
From the play, "Come From Away"-- Gander's response to 'the plane people', as they called them...
© Copyright 2024. Dawn Munro All rights reserved. Registered copyright with FanStory.
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