Peggy Noonan: My Brothers and Sisters

Opinion Journal ^ | 03/08/2002 | Peggy Noonan

[Pokey78]

Hello my friends, or rather my brothers and sisters, which I'll explain later. This is going to be one of those long pieces, so park it and come back later, or make some coffee and settle in.

Our thought for today: This is the age of miracles and wonders, and of signs and symbols too.

[Pokey78]

Ping for the PNPL.

[3D-JOY]

Six pages!

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I really like the way she summed it all up this up this week. Last week she was defending Aaron Sorkin....which was interesting. This week she just has so many good gems in that piece. She's such a fine writer!

[TLBSHOW]

calm before the storm.

[basil]

This lady is really a wonderful writer. I think she has captured the essence of what it's like to live in New York these days.

[Snuffington]

A very well written and thoughtful piece. But of course, that's normal for Peggy Noonan.

[Uncle Miltie]

I Got Rice cooking in the microwave
Got a three day beard I don't plan to shave
And its a goofy thing but I just gotta say
Hey I'm doing alright.

Yeah I think I'll make me some homemade soup
Feelin' pretty good and that's the truth
It's neither drink nor drug induced
No Im just doin' alright

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the suns still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

It's been 15 years since I left home
Said good luck to every seed I'd sown,
Give it my best and then I left it alone
Ohhh I hope their doin' alright.

Now I look in the mirror and what do I see?
A lone wolf there ... starin' back at me,
Long in the tooth but harmless as can be,
Lord I guess he's doin' alright

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the suns still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

Sometimes its lonely
Sometimes its only me and
The shadows that fill this room,
Sometimes I'm fallin' desperately callin'
Howlin' at the moon

Ahhhwwoooooo! Ahhhwooooooo!

Well I might go get me a new tatoo or
Take my old Harley for a three day cruise
Might even grow me a fu man chu...

Ahhhwwoooooo! Ahhhwooooooo!

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the suns still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

And it's a great day to be alive
I know the sun's still shinin' when I close my eyes
There's some hard times in the neigborhood
But why can't every day be just this good?

"It's A Great Day To Be Alive," Travis Tritt

[Lady In Blue]

I'm still ticked off at her for the Sorkin's article!

[Utah Girl]

Thanks for the ping! Peggy kind of meanders all over the place, but she can paint the most beautiful pictures with her words. Great article.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

I understand your sentiments. But she's always loyal to her boss, and Sorkin is her boss. Moving on though, this was a very nice article, and as someone said, PN meanders all over the place but paints beautiful pictures. :)

[3D-JOY]

Read it, thought about it, and decided it fits us all.

Here in Florida we say it will be our neighbor, Air Force Base, Space Center, or Defense Contractor industries that will be next! After all, Florida has been in the headlines so much lately....recounts, Orlando Theme Parks and Visitors, anthrax mail.

I bet every American thinks that something near them is a prime target. The threat is very close to each of us...or is it just in our minds?

Yes, brothers and sisters, six months has gone by and we are going on, but, is anyone seriously concerned with planning for the distant future anymore?

BE HONEST!

[ikka]

The next day he posted Senate testimony that a dirty bomb would render Manhattan uninhabitable for decades.

SNORT.

It's already been uninhabitable for decades!

[Lady In Blue]

Thanks,grlfrnd.I'll have to go back,after I get over her Sorkin article,and read it.It's too bad that she couldn't have more loyalty to the President.I know that since he's not Reagan,it's hard for her.

[SuziQ]

Peggy kind of meanders all over the place, but she can paint the most beautiful pictures with her words.

She makes meandering with her an enjoyable experience!

[ikka]

And, "We don't know anyone in Topeka, Laramie, Tuscaloosa." We only know people here.

Some New Yorkers are insular and shallow.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Interesting L. I do think she's loyal to Bush, and adores him *but* she gets a paycheck (and since it's television and a top rated show, it must be pretty hefty)so that her loyalty to Sorkin comes first. I've seen her write some amazingly wonderful pieces on W. btw, so she's very loyal to him. I think she was defending AS to say what he said in her piece about him IIRC. And like you said she would have gone after anyone had they said something about RR. But again, W. isn't paying her mortgage.......OTOH, she is a fine writer, and this week it's very very good :)

[Badray]

Bump

[dittomom]

Landed on this last night and decided to take Peggy's advice and settle in with it in the morning with a cup of coffee. Glad I did, it probably would have given me nightmares to read this before I went to bed. So haunting when she writes of the feeling of not being safe that noone talks about.

Wasn't sure I would watch the CBS special Sunday night, but now I will. Somehow it feels like we owe it to New Yorkers to see it - to never forget what they went through - what we all went through.