given that it's 8:47am Sunday, i'm certainly asleep at this moment, as i was 10 years ago on this day. i had been up all night and didn't have to be anywhere early, so had gotten to bed only about 4 or 5 hours before the attacks.

it was really strange and disorienting, more so, i think, than everybody who was awake, starting their days and watched it all unfold. i mean, they all had the 'advantage' of waking up to a world pretty much the same as it was the day before. i got up and everything was... not exactly chaotic, but pretty close. it was like waking up in an entirely different world -- which it i guess it was. obviously, it wasn't like an episode of Sliders where history was different and things had been changed for a while, but the World Trade Centers had fallen, the Pentagon had a big hole in it, and -- both wonderful and tragic -- passengers of Flight 93 had realized their situation and overcame the Al-Qaeda hijackers, preventing them from reaching their intended target. i hope that none of them feel as tho they failed because they weren't able to see everybody on the plane to safety as well.

one of those who fought back was of course Mark Bingham, a gay man and rugby player. there's a particular pride for me that a gay man was a part of stopping fundamentalist political/religious extremism.

there was also Christian Sunday School teacher Todd Beamer.

i've read here on Newsvine how some are tired of the partisanship around 9/11. it was on a article about how the kids in Florida who were there with W. when it all happened felt and reflecting on it. there was certainly ample criticism of W.'s actions -- or rather, lack thereof. yes, i am critical of him, but i don't find it entirely partisan: irresponsible (in)action is irresponsible (in)action, negligence is negligence, i don't care of which party a president is. is the defense of or trying to dismiss negligence by President W. partisan? are conservatives projecting again? if i said, "if anything, i may be less critical of W. for it, because from a Democrat, i'd have expected more", that would be partisan. however, i digress; apologies.

the point i was making about Mark Bingham and Todd Beamer was that during those moments, i imagine that Beamer probably didn't care so much that Bingham was gay, or probably liberal, nor did Bingham really care that Beamer was Christian, probably a Republican, and considered him a sinner. (btw, that's essentially what it's like "in foxholes", too, in the military, or it should be; there are more important things than who sleeps with whom.) and, at the risk of being "partisan", that's the liberal way, that's liberalism: live and let live, it's all good, 'have it your way', as long as it doesn't infringe on someone else personal life, as long as you don't force it on others; and it's the basis of the United States' founding.

i set my alarm for 8:46am, the time the first plane struck, and maybe i'll be up to observe the whole time frame -- including... W's... seven... minutes... just... sitting... there -- but who knows. i will share the song i've chosen to play on my alarm, in both English and Arabic:

IMAGINE | تخيل.

Imagine there's no Heaven | لم يكن هناك تصور السماء
It's easy if you try | فمن السهل إذا حاولت
No hell below us | أي جحيم في الأسفل لنا
Above us only sky | السماء فوقنا فقط
Imagine all the people | تخيل كل الناس
Living for today | يعيش لهذا اليوم

Imagine there's no countries | أتصور أن هناك أي دولة
It isn't hard to do | ليس من الصعب أن تفعل
Nothing to kill or die for | لا شيء لقتل أو الموت في سبيل
And no religion too | وأيضا لا دين
Imagine all the people | تخيل كل الناس
Living life in peace | الذين يعيشون حياة في سلام

You may say that I'm a dreamer | قد تقولون أنني حالم
But I'm not the only one | لكني لست الوحيد
I hope someday you'll join us | آمل يوما ما سوف ينضم إلينا
And the world will be as one | وسيكون العالم باعتبارها واحدة

Imagine no possessions | تخيل أي ممتلكات
I wonder if you can | وأتساءل عما إذا كنت تستطيع
No need for greed or hunger | لا داعي للجشع أو الجوع
A brotherhood of man | والأخوة بين البشر
Imagine all the people | تخيل كل الناس
Sharing all the world | تقاسم كل العالم

You may say that I'm a dreamer | قد تقولون أنني حالم
But I'm not the only one | لكني لست الوحيد
I hope someday you'll join us | آمل يوما ما سوف ينضم إلينا
And the world will be as one | وسيكون العالم باعتبارها واحدة

EDIT: article was misposted; please read comment #2 below. thanks.

© 2011 T'omm J'Onzz except lyrics to "Imagine" written by John Lennon © EMI Music Publishing. All rights reserved.. Arabic translation via Google.