A Rose... Gone And Back Again
I received the news of this morning from London in much the same way I received the news of the New York attacks. "Um..." a calm voice said waking me, "There were explosions this morning in London." I was first rushed back to that fateful September 11th when a calm voice told me "A plane crashed into one of the towers in New York." However, this morning was different. This morning was personal. My first thought was to contact Rose. I had two avenues that I knew of: her flat phone and her parents' house. Unfortunately, my cell phone reception in Jim's apartment is terrible, so I had to dress to make the phone calls. I tried Rose's home in Birmingham twice (to no avail. Avail = answer) and then tried her London flat phone from a pay phone across town (which I couldn't call because I'm still an idiot)... and then I gave up and walked back to Jim's. I had far too much time walking across town to think from the phone to Jim's. In that time, I had lost her forever. I had allowed my imagination to think the worst. It was heart-breaking... and I tried to simply forget it, or ignore it because there was nothing I could do. I felt (and was) helpless. With no way to reach her, and no way to know for sure that she was alright... What could I do? Nothing. Isn't that the definition of helplessness?
When I got back to Jim's, however, he was talking online to Rose. Just so everyone knows... I have talked with Karen Rose. She is shaken... but for all intents and purposes is fine and safe and, most probably, headed to Ireland tonight. She is not only safe... she's headed to a Mecca of sorts.
Michael Joseph called me this afternoon, wondering if I had talked with her. He and I talked a little about it... and London feels quite personal. All, or at least most, of the places and Tube stops described were places we were earlier this summer. We walked around those places... we were on those trains... it was us, standing, looking shocked on the TV that I saw this morning. Even moreso than 9/11. And, in a way, these attacks are far scarier than the 9/11 attacks. How so? Well, you have to believe that a LOT more than 33 people should be dead from three or four blasts on subway trains. In a way, this seemed even more of a threat than attacking the Towers. At least, with the Towers, you know they got what they wanted to hit. With these attacks... what was the objective? To simply scare people into knowing they weren't safe.
So, today, if you know Karen Rose or anyone else in London, please email them and let them know that you love them. It's the least we can do. Now, aren't you glad New York didn't get the Olympics? (poorly timed... but still true)