Hey everyone,
Each of us is coming to terms with the reality of the global pandemic. It is all very surreal and no matter how much news I seem to read, it still hasn't quite sunk in. None of us really know how this is going to end, but it seems that in the coming days, weeks and even months that will follow things will get worse before they get better. Individually, we may lose people we care about. Friends, family members, co-workers, old school and university buddies. But as a community, we get to share each others company and a chance to make a difference and to survive in each others memory.
We don't know if it will be our time and we don't know if or who we may lose, but we do know that not everyone alive today is going to make it out of 2020. Some of you have been here since the start of this year, some have been here for years and a handful of our oldest members can event count a decade. Rather than wait to find out who is left standing once the music stops, I'm going to say thank you to each and every one of you for being here, for being part of this community and for being part of each other's lives. I don't want to feel that I've taken any of you for granted if the worst does happen.
I am reminded that as the Titanic hit the iceberg on the night of April 14th 1912, the myth goes that in an effort to calm the passengers the ships band of musicians played on even as passengers fled for the lifeboats. As the ship went down, it is believed the last tune played by the band was "nearer my god to thee". The RMS Titanic sank with the loss of over 1,500 lives, including all of the musicians. As one of the second-class passengers on the ship recalled:
Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame.
So, as we all now have that "sinking feeling" and try to find safe passage through this year, I thought this was perhaps the best tune to play. In the middle of the noise of what is going on, it is important to remember that we have shared the accidental miracle of each other's company. Whatever happens, I want to wish you all the best of luck and urge you to take care. May we all find some manner of peace once this is over, whatever our fates maybe.
Each of us is coming to terms with the reality of the global pandemic. It is all very surreal and no matter how much news I seem to read, it still hasn't quite sunk in. None of us really know how this is going to end, but it seems that in the coming days, weeks and even months that will follow things will get worse before they get better. Individually, we may lose people we care about. Friends, family members, co-workers, old school and university buddies. But as a community, we get to share each others company and a chance to make a difference and to survive in each others memory.
We don't know if it will be our time and we don't know if or who we may lose, but we do know that not everyone alive today is going to make it out of 2020. Some of you have been here since the start of this year, some have been here for years and a handful of our oldest members can event count a decade. Rather than wait to find out who is left standing once the music stops, I'm going to say thank you to each and every one of you for being here, for being part of this community and for being part of each other's lives. I don't want to feel that I've taken any of you for granted if the worst does happen.
I am reminded that as the Titanic hit the iceberg on the night of April 14th 1912, the myth goes that in an effort to calm the passengers the ships band of musicians played on even as passengers fled for the lifeboats. As the ship went down, it is believed the last tune played by the band was "nearer my god to thee". The RMS Titanic sank with the loss of over 1,500 lives, including all of the musicians. As one of the second-class passengers on the ship recalled:
Many brave things were done that night, but none were more brave than those done by men playing minute after minute as the ship settled quietly lower and lower in the sea. The music they played served alike as their own immortal requiem and their right to be recalled on the scrolls of undying fame.
So, as we all now have that "sinking feeling" and try to find safe passage through this year, I thought this was perhaps the best tune to play. In the middle of the noise of what is going on, it is important to remember that we have shared the accidental miracle of each other's company. Whatever happens, I want to wish you all the best of luck and urge you to take care. May we all find some manner of peace once this is over, whatever our fates maybe.