9/11

It's been three years since New York, Washington and the entire world was rocked by the impact of four terrorist high jacked planes. Funny (not ha-ha): it seemed on that day like the world was coming to an end - or at least like it would never be the same again. While it's true, security measures have been stepped up (don't even think of bringing fingernail clippers on a plane), there were two ensuing wars, and life has changed in numerous small but significant ways (especially in the United States where President Bushling uses the attacks to manipulate the masses into believing they're under constant threat and only he can save them - yeah, like he did last time??), today felt like any other to me. Saying the date, "September 11," out loud, now carries an undercurrent of horror, yes, but my life feels pretty much the same.

The morning the attacks happened I was at a friend's house, in Summerland, housesitting and taking care of her two cats while she hiked the West Coast Trail. It was a perfect morning. I was sitting in her glassed-in "Reading Room," sipping a latte and reading Real Simple to the strains of Chantal Kreviazuk when my sister phoned to say that the World Trade Centre was hit, one tower was down and the White House was also attacked, and who knows what's next and everything was in this state of confusion. Like me, said friend has no TV (or at least not cable so good luck picking anything up in lower Summerland), so I went to the radio - CBC. It was all true. Like something from a weird, B-movie - surreal. I remember looking out the window and seeing the waves of the lake, across the road, lapping the shore, under the most vivid blue sky. A flock of birds skittered by. Trees rustled in the breeze. They didn't know. It was tranquil perfection in this corner of the world, which was strangely hard to reconcile.

That day, I was absorbed in the events. It didn't help that I was totally isolated, in the middle of no where with only the CBC as company. Later that day, when I finally went out for a meeting, it was bizarre to see people just walking around, interacting, living, as though none of this had happened. So, in an effort to help "normalize" my own mind (I do get consumed), I made a list of other things that went on at the time that I probably wouldn't remember, but should. For your reading pleasure, then, here it is (excerpted verbatim):

* It is a beautiful Indian summer. Not too hot (obviously) but not too cold. The leaves are starting to change and the sky has been a vivid blue.

* Stayed at Shannon's house, which was lovely (esp. "Reading Room," where I am now). Love cats (Sarah and Ella) even though Ella is v. naughty and a bit of a pest - but still so adorable in her half-kitten, half-cat sort of way. V. worthwhile, even though gas expensive (total: $55 for one week).

* Killed Shannon's battery (truck) - - two days in a row!! Totally mortified about it. First time (Wed.) I drove home from Summerland at 6 a.m. and it was still kinda dark so I had lights on. When I got back it was light so I didn't notice they were on. When I tried to go to Vernon a few hours later, it was dead. When I got home from Vernon (after jump start from Grandpa), I noticed lights were still on (that is, the buttons were pushed up) so I turned them off (pushed buttons down) and went in. Next day, I tried to drive back to Summerland with Hwajeong but - surprise! - the battery was dead again. Because pushed down is ON! Battery could not be jump-started this time, so we put mom's in it. V. embarrassing . . . !

* Stupid STUPID Hotmail erased ALL of my business account emails. What the H--- is that?!

And so it goes - one person's life is turned upside down, broadsided or just plain ended and everyone else goes on. Sometimes it's on a massive scale, like Sept. 11, where everyone knows it and feels the shock waves for a while. Ditto the more recent schooljacking in Russia. Other times it's only one, who ceases to exist - is now and forever gone. The world closes in around them and fills in the gap, as though they never were (in a cosmic sort of way). And we sally forth, lives full of trivial pursuits, irrelevant stresses and fears, meaningless achievements, joys, ambitions - because, on a certain level, that is all life is. Perhaps not what it should be, but there you go.