The past few days...

[Dee R]

Neil, may I say thank you, both to you, and to everyone who's been so great
in giving us moral, spirital, and even physical support as a country.  I'm
very very lucky.  I was worried for a few days that my friends in NYC
(Including EVERYONE here!) had gotten caught in the mess.  In another club,
one of the founders works in NY, in the hospitals, and no one had heard from
him for two days.  He's a good friend, but I realized  that after three
years--I didn't even know his real name!  Just his handle.  You who are my
HP friends at least know each others' names--we share them.

Next time he's able to be online (He posted that he's a bit busy right now;
not that we're surprised) I will find out more information 'bout him, and
less about the VampireTheMasquerade game!

>From Simon, I heard that all our NYC friends here were accounted for.  As I
scanned the digests that came in Tuesday and Wednesdays, I would read names,
and sigh in relief--"there, they're alright; yep, there's her....he's
safe..." would have been what you heard if you stood over my shoulder.

What hurts me most is the two extreme attitudes that I've seen--the one that
some Americans (and others) think we deserved this.  The second that has
been told me basically as "I don't care--it didn't effect me".

These I just can't understand.  I haven't slept well, and still can see
images that are probably not real in my head which I will not describe--they
are probably the same as everyone else has.

I do have a question, though--one of hope.  During Oklahoma there were folks
found alive days later.  Does anyone know the longest that happened?  I am
still hopeful.  That's why I light my candle--that the "pocket" folks will
be found alive and well.

Thanks if you know the answer.

Dee



<<Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2001 08:32:39 +0100
   From: "Neil Ward" <neilward at dircon.co.uk>
Subject: The past few days...

I know several people have said this already, and it seems rather obvious to
say it, but this tragedy has deeply affected many people outside the US.
Those horrific images are running through my mind as I write this and it
doesn't feel right yet to try to file them away and move on, not that doing
that would be easy.  I can hardly imagine what it must be like to be closer
to all this than I am, here, in London.

The playing of the US National Anthem during the Changing of the Guard at
Buckingham Palace made me cry as I watched it on the news.  I'm not the
steeliest of men, but I had been unable to cry until that point, probably
out of sheer disbelief at what had happened.

On Wednesday morning, the commuter trains and buses in the British capital
were subdued, as pretty much everyone was reading about Tuesday's events in
the newspapers; many of us witnessed others sobbing openly on their way to
work.  On Wednesday and Thursday, I heard, with relief, that business
colleagues in New York and Washington were okay, and, with sadness, that
some of them had lost friends or relatives.  On Friday, we observed the
Europe-wide three minute silence in my office: for 180 seconds that seemed
like an hour, I sat, with my secretary crying her heart out in the next
room, feeling angry that traffic continued to stream past the window instead
of pulling over.

The friendship in this group has been something to treasure over the past
few days.  The advance of technology has allowed us a small world within our
world that has strengthened the ties between us.  I hope the human race can
now advance and eradicate terrorism, war, prejudice and hatred.  I hope
against hope that it can do that.

Neil>>


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