Journal Entry for Celebrating Life in America from 2000 to 2009 - Although this was a tumultuous decade to live through, I did my best to bring out the heroic stories that people did not know or forgot. For that reason, I hope you will focus on the resilience to adversity for that was the point in writing this decade in history.
The decade spanning from 2000 to 2009 in America was defined by major historic challenges, but it also produced remarkable, uplifting true stories of human kindness and ordinary people demonstrating extraordinary resilience, heroism, and community spirit.
Ground Zero - on 9/11, while thousands fled down the stairs to get out of the burning World Trade Center towers, thousands of NY City firefighters, police officers, paramedic, and Port Authority workers ran upward into the collapsing structures. Chaplain Father Mychal Judge gave his own life anointing the injured and first responders also made self-sacrificing decisions to save whoever they could. Heroes of every race, age, nationality, and religion showed the best of what American selflessness and deviance can do to save lives. Special thanks to Doug for this profound and meaningful comment:
Much has changed since September 11, 2001. As a matter of fact,
I think we can all say we instinctively felt a shift in the timeline
that has sent us, the world, on a darker road.
Yet, intertwined in that darkness,
we still see kindness, grace, and mercy
emanating from the human soul
which has God's code written on it.
Doug Dawes
New York City's Indomitable Spirit - our Nation faced deep grief, economic shockwaves, and structural damage. The American spirit, especially from New York was defined by an immediate refusal to break. First Responders, Fire & Rescue, Police, the Mayor, and ordinary people banned together around the clock in harrowing conditions. Despite it all, the city steadily rebuilt lower Manhattan, proving that community bonds could outlast horrific conditions and heartbreak.
The Ultimate Everyday Heroes: Passengers of Flight 93 - United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by terrorists intending to strike the U.S. Capitol or the White House. Realizing their fate, passengers and crew used cell phones to call loved ones. They made the decision to make the ultimate sacrifice by voting to force themselves into the cockpit. With enormous courage, the people on board overpowered the hijackers and the plane crashed into a rural field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, a pioneer establishment from 1798, preventing the plane from reaching its target.
The Kindness of the "No Ordinary Thanks" Airport Strangers (Post-9/11, 2001) - In the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks, U.S. airspace was completely shut down, forcing 38 international commercial planes carrying approximately 7,000 passengers to land in a small, remote town of Gander, Newfoundland. Located across the Canadian border, the residents of Gander opened their hearts, homes, schools, and community centers, feeding, clothing, and housing stranded strangers for days without accepting a penny. This was an extraordinary testament to unconditional human hospitality during America's darkest hour of the decade.
Rescuing Jessica - During the early days of the Iraq War, a U.S. Army supply convoy led by 19-year-old Private First-Class Jessica Lynch was ambushed in Nasiriyah. She sustained severe, life-threatening injuries and was captured and held prisoner in an Iraqi hospital. On April 1, 2003, U.S. special operations executed a daring, high-risk nighttime rescue mission, pulling her from the hospital to safety returning her to U.S. soil. Lynch's survival story captured global attention. Her resilience in the face of trauma and captivity became a national symbol of endurance.
Military Valor - During the invasion of Iraq on 4/4/2003, First-Class Paul R Smith's unit was ambushed by a fierce force of enemy fighters near Baghdad International Airport. Pinned down and facing overwhelming numbers, Smith deliberately exposed himself to the enemy fire to rally his men, firing a .50 caliber machine gun from an unshielded armored vehicle and throwing hand grenades to hold back the attack until his wounded comrades could be safely evacuated. Killed in action, for his heroic valor, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, for his bravery while saving over 100 American soldiers.
Personal Photograph taken in Irving, Texas
To Memorialize Victims of 9/11/01
The Miracle on the Hudson - On January 15, 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of geese shortly after taking off from LaGuardia Airport, completely knocking out both engines. Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger and First Officer Jeffey Skiles made the split-second decision to glide the commercial airliner onto the freeing waters of the Hudson River. Miraculously, all 155 people on board survived. "The Miracle on the Hudson provided inspiration for a country that was fatigued by economic recession and ongoing global issues.
Divine Intervention - In January 2007 in Harlem, NY, a student named Cameron Hollopeter suffered a severe seizure and tumbled off the station platform onto the active subway tracks. Hearing screams, Wesley Autrey, a construction worker and Navy Veteran jumped down into the shallow drainage trough between the rails and covered the young man's body with his own. Five cars of subway trains literally rolled over the top of them, clearing Autrey's hair by mere inches. Both men were completely unharmed. The selfless act of diving into the path to save a complete stranger remains to be a symbol of radical empathy and everyday heroism.
Hurricane Katrina (2005) - A single text message "My people are dying," sent by Senator Walter Boasso during Hurricane Katrina resulted in a volunteer rescue mission when the federal resources were overwhelmed. Operating independently, volunteers with self-servant hearts rescued more than 10,000 people from rooftops and flooded homes. Boat propellers were dubbed "the sound of salvation," as more volunteers responded to the text, "My people are dying."
Real Estate Broker/Agent Adaptability & Resilience - Out of the depths of heartache during the 2008-2009 economic crash caused by bad mortgage loans, millions of American people were drowning in debt. Real Estate Agents across the nation helped homeowners "under water" who suffered from job losses, predatory adjustable mortgage-rate mortgage resets, foreclosure, and financial ruin. Business models were reinvented. Short Sale Classes were set up to help agents navigate through the red tape trying to help homeowners save face.
Agents spent hundreds or more unpaid hours negotiating debt forgiveness by phone with determination to get lenders to agree to accept sale prices less than amount owed, writing off the remaining balance. The immense paperwork, phone calls, financial paperwork, hardship letters, and bank applications to stubborn loan officers who were also overwhelmed by defaults, never seemed to end.
With patience and self-servant hearts, Agents acted as advocates, negotiators, and specialized agents in distressed properties to successfully exit unbearable debt, loss, whether through a short sale or worse, foreclosure. Millions of agents did not get paid or if they did, it was barely enough to live on for themselves.
Resiliency in Real Estate - Despite widespread foreclosures and financial hardship, real estate resilience took on a local, grassroots form. Community land trusts, neighborhood stabilization programs, and local housing non-profits stepped up across America to rescue abandoned properties, prevent mass displacement, and keep neighborhoods intact during the darkest economic months of 2008 and 2009.
ActiveRain to the Rescue - before the crash, thankfully, ActiveRain launched in 2006. Created in Bellevue, Washington by tech entrepreneurs, including Matt Heaton and James Hillyerd, ActiveRain offered agents a marketing platform and blog hosting services in the real estate industry. During the 2008 housing crises, ActiveRain gained massive traction by capturing search engine traffic and building referral partnerships with peers nationwide. RainCamps began and members of AR traveled the distance to learn about new technology and hear from the Leaders in Real Estate to promote networking, wisdom, and knowledge during the ebbs and flows of real estate challenges. The membership has grown exponentially, and many friendships have evolved for the years.
In September 2010, Market Leader acquired a 51% controlling stake in ActiveRain, eventually completing a full acquisition by 2011 to integrate lead-generation tools into the network. Trulia acquired Market Leader (and ActiveRain along with it) in 2013. When Zillow bought Trulia in early 2015, AR briefly became part of Zillow's corporate portfolio. In June 2015, Zillow sold ActiveRain to real estate tech entrepreneur and Mega-Agent Ben Kinney. Focusing on Community and Training under Kinney's leadership, the platform refocused on core agent education, launching ActiveRain University and maintaining its standing as an archive of millions of crowd-sourced real estate articles and local market reports. During the Covid Years Debe Maxwell, CRS began Zoom for members of ActiveRain to stay connected during the pandemic. Zoom sessions, providing real estate education, and networking are still available for all AR members every Tuesday.
In sum, the decade spanning from 2000 to 2009 was one of the most tumultuous, paradoxical eras in modern American history. It was the decade of trauma and challenges swinging between historic traumas and extraordinary cultural and technological rebirths, such as when iPhone went on the market. This was the decade I joined the real estate community in 2003 and survived. Although I didn't join AR until 2010, to this day, I thank ActiveRain. I learned a lot and met the most incredible people, I never would have otherwise, if this extraordinary platform with working wizards behind the scenes did not exist.
"Success in Real Estate Starts When You Believe
You Are Worthy of It" ---Michael Ferrara
This is series six of Celebrating Life in America through the decades.
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