"Pandemonium followed. The guards fell with rifle butts on the howling blacks, who now seemed to overflow the streets, climbing toward the windows. And the noise and screaming and uproar were such that very few saw that Macandal, held by ten soldiers, had been thrust head first into the fire, and that a flame fed by his burning hair had drowned his last cry.... That afternoon the slaves returned to their plantations laughing all the way. Macandal had kept his word, remaining in the Kingdom of This World." (The Kingdom of This World, Alejo Carpentier, 46)
As I scanned my memory for a time I may have witnessed such chaos, I stumbled on an event that, even though I may want to forget, I never will:
I was just a kid when I saw the attacks unfold on that somber morning. I didn't understand the magnitude of what was happening. But I remember the news coverage showing people running and screaming and crying. I was going to include a video of a news report from that morning, but it was just too much.
I would venture to say that you can remember this tragedy anyway. If not, there are videos on YouTube.
What interests me the most about 9/11 and the pandemonium that occurred around Macandal's death is how much our perception can be skewed, our memories can falter. Or, in other cases, we may completely ignore reality. I think of all the conspiracy theories revolving around the terrorist attacks. The slaves that followed Macandal were entirely convinced that he made an escape. They were completely unaware that he was burned in the fire.
What do we overlook while we're amongst the pandemonium?
We are rarely in such devastating and chaotic situations. But our lives are busy. The pandemonium of daily life can consume us, and, if we're not careful, we may miss what is really happening, good or bad.
Next time you find yourself getting caught up in the maelstrom of life, take a step back and understand what is going on around you. Otherwise, you may miss something that you'll regret.
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