“september 11, 2002
“on the first anniversary of the world trade center attacks, i’m heading farther north and farther away from the ‘real world’ of terrorist attacks and ensuing memorial services. odd. a year ago i was sent home from work early and spent the rest of the day glued to the television, staying up late into the night wondering and worrying. and today, a year later, i sit on a ferry taking me to the orkney islands above mainland britain, a place not as frequented by tourists as london, or edinburge. it’s odd, the things i find myself doing when i pause to think about it. i’m really quite lucky to be able to travel like i do, to be able to spoil myself from time to time.
“i just watched the sunrise over the north sea. it was beautiful.”
last year i happened to skip the country for the first anniversary of 9/11/01. i have to say, it was nice. i was glad to be away from the “hoopla” of memorial services and news reports. i know that sounds insensitive, but it was so much nicer to be rocking gently on a boat, on my way to a fairly remote location. karen, becca and i were 3 of no more than 20 passengers on board. it was nice to stand on the deck in the dawn, watch the sun rise, listen to the water crash against the bow, and reflect on the year anniversary. it was calming, and quieting, and ultimately meant more to me than being here in the u.s. could have.
this morning the snooze alarm woke me up at 7:43 or so (central time), just before the moment of silence corresponding to the first plane hitting the towers. the radio djs went silent and again, it was nice to be alone, in the dawn and the quiet, lying in bed with the sun sneaking its way through slits in the blinds.
and yet today, it is hard for me to declare 9/11 to be the most impactful world event in my life. eight months ago, it was. then we lost columbia. i can detatch myself from 9/11, turn it into this nebulous, abstract thing that was really bad, and yet didn’t directly affect my life. i can’t do that with columbia. again, that sounds insensitive. i don’t mean to be; i am simply trying to explain.
two years, two tragedies. the mind boggles, and so we cope as best as we can.
and we keep on keeping on. last night buzz and i hit the rock gym for ladies night. that’s four times in two weeks for me, and my body is starting to complain. i have two lovely purple bruises, one on each knee. i think my middle finger on my right hand is slightly sprained (it’s been bothering me for a couple weeks now). my ankle still occasionally complains, and the rope burn becca gave me almost three weeks ago is still healing. hmm. my dad will read all this and probably worry that i’m pushing myself too hard. i don’t know.
poor karen. instead of making life easier, it sounds like her thesis supervisor keeps throwing up road blocks. he can’t read karen’s thesis because he has master’s students to take care of? excuse me sir, isn’t karen one of your master’s students?! he’s already abandoned her to move to another school, and now he’s ignoring her. wacko. karen, i suggest the following mantra: “in a month, i will be on a beach in greece…in a month, i will be on a beach in greece…in a month, i will be on a beach in greece…” 🙂
i am currently listening to john mayer’s new cd. so far so good.
