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Soon, I'll be phasing back to regular articles on radio, radio technology
and radio culture. For now, however, I'd like to digress just once
more and share with you the enriching time I spent last week in Fortuna,
the home of the C. Crane Company. While in Fortuna I experienced
the unmistakable beauty of the American spirit. I understood, without
any doubt, what was meant by a sign I first saw in New Jersey that
read "America United." It meant that together we could get passed
our common sorrow as a country, and emerge from this tragedy as a
strong, directed, proud nation. Visiting Fortuna showed me the power
of this unity.
When I first arrived in Fortuna Bob Crane invited me to join him on a
local radio show and talk about the events I witnessed in New Jersey
while waiting for a flight from Newark to San Francisco. The host
of the radio show, Mike Brennan, also of C. Crane, had decided to
dedicate that morning's broadcast to talking about how we, as a nation,
could cope with the grief of such an enormous national tragedy. Joining
us were three grief counselors, also from northern California.
Having traveled over 3000 miles from my home in New Jersey to Northern California,
I did not expect to experience such a force of compassion and unity.
The grief counselors were extraordinary people and they shared
with us that day a vital understanding of grief. Grief is a tool,
they said, a mechanism within ourselves that we can use to help our
hearts heal. It is not something to avoid, or run from, but rather,
something to listen to in ourselves, and learn from, however challenging.
That advice stayed with me, and I hear it now as I try to get myself back
on track while home again in New Jersey. It's comforting to know
that even in the quiet beauty of Northern California, citizens are
sharing their thoughts and prayers with those of us on the East Coast.
While biking across a stunningly gorgeous ridge near Fortuna, Bob and I
rode past a flag at half-staff on a homemade, wooden mast. It was
a sad, yet moving sight, reminding me of how much strength there
is in the love we share as a country. There, among the peaceful redwoods,
that flag was yet another sign that our nation is blessed with a
powerful, unwavering sense of unity and for that, I am proud and
honored to live here.
I thank you again for reading this article, and offer a special thank
you to everyone who shared with me their thoughts on the tragedy
of September 11. I would also like to extend my personal gratitude
to all of you who helped C. Crane donate $30,000 to the Disaster
Relief Fund yet another humbling gesture of profound strength and
compassion.
To view our past articles, please visit our What's
in the News Archives.
As always, please e-mail
me with any comments or article suggestions you might
have. If you have a customer service or technical question, please
send to ccraneco@aol.com or
call 1-800-522-8863.
If you are interested in using C. Crane's articles on your own Web site,
please let me know. I'd be happy to take a look at your Web site
and see what we can do. Good-bye for now, Carlos. About
the author
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