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Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2002 - 8:49 a.m.
Reflections

My WeatherPixie, (the one at the bottom) is, at this time, not reporting the temperature. There's no pixie, either, just a Canadian flag. That's a little spooky, what with this being September 11 and all. And the rain as a sombre reminder.

Ever notice that there is rain on November 11 more times than there isn't? Could just be here, though. When I was a little kid, Remembrance Day was the saddest day of the year. It always seemed to rain. We used to have the day off in Ontario. All day was spent looking at images of death and war on TV. I didn't know what else to do. I thought it was my duty to be depressed and in tears that day. That was November 11.

September 11 doesn't do that for me. I still have private reverence for those that died in the Great War, but today isn't really a memorial. Things are still happening. It isn't really over. At least all the people that mattered in 1918 are dead. It's over in that sense. And we knew who the enemy was. Not so here. It's too unresolved and too "newsy" for that kind of reverence for me. That's not to say that irreverence should be the order of the day, it's just that I don't particularly feel anything for some reason.

That's wrong. I do feel something. I remember everything that happened that day. I remember the need for people to be together one way or another. I remember the diverted flights to Canada and the stranded Canadians helped by Americans. And I remember the feelings of dread.

I called business associates and clients in the US to make sure they were okay. One client in particular lost everyone in its reinsurance wing. There were a few other stories of near misses. One client decided to sleep in that day after a long night of work. It saved his life. Others decided on a whim to move their morning meeting to a trendy cafe a few blocks away. I am definitely feeling something now.

There is reason to feel good today. Two great people were born on this day years ago. One is my good friend, Matt. We all forgot his birthday last year because of the events. His bachelor party was the following Saturday and he was married the Saturday after that. The other person is non other than Ms. M. She is 33 years young(!). Thanks for the Twinings-like experience, M. Don't let them get you down today.

Well, lots happening here at work; it's business as usual. I have my second justify-your-existence meeting this week today.

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Update: At 4:30 this afternoon, the sun came out. It came out with strength and conviction. Like a phoenix. The rays reflected off the water in the parking lot, into my office, onto my face. They made me smile.

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