Mensa
Non Compos Mentis
- Joined
- May 25, 2000
- Posts
- 4,107
Tis the middle of the night here and I've just awoken from a long sleep, the first real rest I've had in days, so please bear with me if this gets a little obscure.
I just returned from a trip to the U.S.A. ferrying a friend home to his family. I'd better begin at the beginning.
Last June I was told I was to accompany a group to meet with a client in New York to discuss a contract. This was unusual because I never get involved in the preliminary discussions. Someone else sets things up and then I get called in to add my piece to the puzzle. He only comes in to the office on Tuesdays, so if you want a face-to-face, it must be on Tuesday. We were slated to meet in his boardroom at ten a.m. Tuesday September 11, 2001.
In the interim, a conference was called for Calgary to discuss the potential for conflict over access to water in a world of increasing populations and pollution. The conference was set for September 10, 11, 12. To cancel the conference meant that we couldn't reconvene until next March, so we asked if we could put off the New York meeting. He agreed and rescheduled for October 16. His offices were in the south tower of the World Trade Center.
During the conference we were interrupted by someone rushing in to inform us about the attacks in New York and Washington. We rushed to the audio-video room to watch and be appalled.There was an eerie sense of deja-vu about what I was watching because several years ago we presented a scenario very similar to what actually happened. Only in our drama the terrorists used private planes loaded with explosives and attacked symbolic American targets such as the Golden Gate bridge, Mount Rushmore, the White House. But we did have one plane go to New York but to destroy the Statue of Liberty, not the WTC. It took quite a while for it to sink in that what we were watching was real and not a Hollywood movie, it just didn't seem possible.
Naturally, the conference ended and everyone was anxious to get home. But no such luck. They closed down the airports and cancelled all flights. One man offered to fly us back in his corporate jet, but we asked three different officials if private planes would be allowed to fly and got three different answers. Finally we decided that flying on such a day might not be the smartest thing to do, better to stay on terra firma. So we decide to rent a car and drive home, which we did, not the most comfortable trip I've ever taken. We went by the airport and it looked for all the world like some giant parking lot for planes. When we get back I offer to take my American friend to the border because he's understandably anxious to get home. What should have taken about eight hours ended up taking closer to twenty. First the borders were closed, then reopened with increased security. Twelve hours we waited in line to get across. Finally I get him safely home to his frightened family. On the return it takes closer to twenty-four hours, American Customs are doing only hand searches of all luggage and vehicles and are understandably wary.
Finally I get home dog-tired, I go immediately to bed but find I can't sleep, all those disturbing images keep reappearing and I'm reminded that at that hour on that day I was scheduled to be in that building. Talk about fate intervening. I was only going to be on the thirty-fourth floor I believe it was, so even had I been there, I probably would have got out safely. But I don't like to dwell on the possibilities. My heart aches for all those innocent souls who paid the ultimate price for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with them. Finally I do manage to fall asleep and slept for twelve straight hours, having just rewakened an hour ago.
I can't imagine what was in the minds of these sub-human species that would murder, yes I said MURDER, so many for so little purpose. Had they been military targets, that would have been bad enough, danger is in their job descriptions. But these were civilians, men, women, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, dearly loved by others and now so sorrowfully missed. Empty places at the family table, empty places in the family's hearts. Friends and loved ones, gone forever.
America was shocked by the immensity of the tragedy that befell their nation. They will now take the time to grieve and to mourn. Their sorrow will diminish but never depart, and when it does it will be replaced by an iron resolve to see that justice is done, that those lives so heartlessly taken will not be in vain. The perpetrators of this "crime against humanity" will be hunted down in their burrows and lairs. They may have taken the first shot, but America and all decent civilized people around the world will take the final one! They can run but they can't hide because now the hand of the entire world is set against them, and Justice will be Done!!
To all Americans I would like to say how very, very sad I am at such an atrocity. If it were only possible to turn back the clock and prevent it. Words fail to properly express the deep sorrow we feel in this your hour of trial. We know however that you will rise up again and when you do, there will be HELL to pay!
God bless you all!!
I just returned from a trip to the U.S.A. ferrying a friend home to his family. I'd better begin at the beginning.
Last June I was told I was to accompany a group to meet with a client in New York to discuss a contract. This was unusual because I never get involved in the preliminary discussions. Someone else sets things up and then I get called in to add my piece to the puzzle. He only comes in to the office on Tuesdays, so if you want a face-to-face, it must be on Tuesday. We were slated to meet in his boardroom at ten a.m. Tuesday September 11, 2001.
In the interim, a conference was called for Calgary to discuss the potential for conflict over access to water in a world of increasing populations and pollution. The conference was set for September 10, 11, 12. To cancel the conference meant that we couldn't reconvene until next March, so we asked if we could put off the New York meeting. He agreed and rescheduled for October 16. His offices were in the south tower of the World Trade Center.
During the conference we were interrupted by someone rushing in to inform us about the attacks in New York and Washington. We rushed to the audio-video room to watch and be appalled.There was an eerie sense of deja-vu about what I was watching because several years ago we presented a scenario very similar to what actually happened. Only in our drama the terrorists used private planes loaded with explosives and attacked symbolic American targets such as the Golden Gate bridge, Mount Rushmore, the White House. But we did have one plane go to New York but to destroy the Statue of Liberty, not the WTC. It took quite a while for it to sink in that what we were watching was real and not a Hollywood movie, it just didn't seem possible.
Naturally, the conference ended and everyone was anxious to get home. But no such luck. They closed down the airports and cancelled all flights. One man offered to fly us back in his corporate jet, but we asked three different officials if private planes would be allowed to fly and got three different answers. Finally we decided that flying on such a day might not be the smartest thing to do, better to stay on terra firma. So we decide to rent a car and drive home, which we did, not the most comfortable trip I've ever taken. We went by the airport and it looked for all the world like some giant parking lot for planes. When we get back I offer to take my American friend to the border because he's understandably anxious to get home. What should have taken about eight hours ended up taking closer to twenty. First the borders were closed, then reopened with increased security. Twelve hours we waited in line to get across. Finally I get him safely home to his frightened family. On the return it takes closer to twenty-four hours, American Customs are doing only hand searches of all luggage and vehicles and are understandably wary.
Finally I get home dog-tired, I go immediately to bed but find I can't sleep, all those disturbing images keep reappearing and I'm reminded that at that hour on that day I was scheduled to be in that building. Talk about fate intervening. I was only going to be on the thirty-fourth floor I believe it was, so even had I been there, I probably would have got out safely. But I don't like to dwell on the possibilities. My heart aches for all those innocent souls who paid the ultimate price for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with them. Finally I do manage to fall asleep and slept for twelve straight hours, having just rewakened an hour ago.
I can't imagine what was in the minds of these sub-human species that would murder, yes I said MURDER, so many for so little purpose. Had they been military targets, that would have been bad enough, danger is in their job descriptions. But these were civilians, men, women, fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, sons, daughters, dearly loved by others and now so sorrowfully missed. Empty places at the family table, empty places in the family's hearts. Friends and loved ones, gone forever.
America was shocked by the immensity of the tragedy that befell their nation. They will now take the time to grieve and to mourn. Their sorrow will diminish but never depart, and when it does it will be replaced by an iron resolve to see that justice is done, that those lives so heartlessly taken will not be in vain. The perpetrators of this "crime against humanity" will be hunted down in their burrows and lairs. They may have taken the first shot, but America and all decent civilized people around the world will take the final one! They can run but they can't hide because now the hand of the entire world is set against them, and Justice will be Done!!
To all Americans I would like to say how very, very sad I am at such an atrocity. If it were only possible to turn back the clock and prevent it. Words fail to properly express the deep sorrow we feel in this your hour of trial. We know however that you will rise up again and when you do, there will be HELL to pay!
God bless you all!!
