@Laura Skov - What phenomenal evocative writing! It sounds like you wrote this five years later. How do you feel now, since several lifetimes seems to have happened since then? At the time I couldn't read anything, and now I'm overwhelmed by stuff rolling in every five minutes, and I think you decided to bug out - haven't gotten to that part. But,I've discovered I have an ugly fascination with the jumpers - and modulating that black fascination with a need to stay connected to my humanity. And, it seems to me you capture enough of the specificity to reward my black heart (something about the beauty of the floating papers), and my need for my humanity (wondering if you're a survivor because you were only next door). I will keep reading. I don't know about others, but as a resident neighbor at the time of the Los Angeles International Airport, we could see in real time the defense of the nation. All air traffic into and out of LAX halted, and it was weird to have empty skies. And then the periphery of LAX became filled with patrolling police helicopters and any other protective units that had their own helicopters constantly patrolling, because we didn't know "What else?" "What next?"
I will try to read all you have available on your thoughts about 9/11. How long have you been away? For 6 years I've been begging my husband to move, but we no longer have the financial appeal to move to New Zealand, where I fortuitously have a cousin and his family. All my grandparents escaped the pogroms of Europe to America around 1910, escaping the horrors to come. And now, I wished I had asked them more about it. They came with their smarts and work ethic, a knowledge of five languages, English not being one of them, and surviving to raise successful American children - at least 3 generations of descendants now - maybe four. And here I am thinking about following in my grandparents worn boots. Friends are applying for dual citizenships if they can prove their descendant came from that country. Several to Italy, one to Germany, another one I forget where. And if I could prove - which I doubt - I could apply to Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Somehow those all hold less appeal than Italy. And of course for Jews (me) I could go to israel. Which is having a hard time of it. So - I guess I'm stuck. Better to fight it out at home.
I’m understand your desire to leave and the frustration of feeling stuck. I also believe that there is always a way. For what it’s worth, though, I don’t think there are very many safe places going. I hope you find a way to feel safe and settled. It’s a bad world right now. Thank you for reading.
It is the definition of the word bittersweet. I dropped off my only perfect boy in Boston 10 years this month. Now he lives on the other side of the world, but thankfully comes home for luxuriously long visits.
@Laura Skov - What phenomenal evocative writing! It sounds like you wrote this five years later. How do you feel now, since several lifetimes seems to have happened since then? At the time I couldn't read anything, and now I'm overwhelmed by stuff rolling in every five minutes, and I think you decided to bug out - haven't gotten to that part. But,I've discovered I have an ugly fascination with the jumpers - and modulating that black fascination with a need to stay connected to my humanity. And, it seems to me you capture enough of the specificity to reward my black heart (something about the beauty of the floating papers), and my need for my humanity (wondering if you're a survivor because you were only next door). I will keep reading. I don't know about others, but as a resident neighbor at the time of the Los Angeles International Airport, we could see in real time the defense of the nation. All air traffic into and out of LAX halted, and it was weird to have empty skies. And then the periphery of LAX became filled with patrolling police helicopters and any other protective units that had their own helicopters constantly patrolling, because we didn't know "What else?" "What next?"
I will try to read all you have available on your thoughts about 9/11. How long have you been away? For 6 years I've been begging my husband to move, but we no longer have the financial appeal to move to New Zealand, where I fortuitously have a cousin and his family. All my grandparents escaped the pogroms of Europe to America around 1910, escaping the horrors to come. And now, I wished I had asked them more about it. They came with their smarts and work ethic, a knowledge of five languages, English not being one of them, and surviving to raise successful American children - at least 3 generations of descendants now - maybe four. And here I am thinking about following in my grandparents worn boots. Friends are applying for dual citizenships if they can prove their descendant came from that country. Several to Italy, one to Germany, another one I forget where. And if I could prove - which I doubt - I could apply to Russia, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine. Somehow those all hold less appeal than Italy. And of course for Jews (me) I could go to israel. Which is having a hard time of it. So - I guess I'm stuck. Better to fight it out at home.
I’m understand your desire to leave and the frustration of feeling stuck. I also believe that there is always a way. For what it’s worth, though, I don’t think there are very many safe places going. I hope you find a way to feel safe and settled. It’s a bad world right now. Thank you for reading.
Oh how the world was changed. Thank you for writing this.
Good luck with college drop offs & moves!
Thank you for reading. Packing off my perfect child is another trauma, but I guess it’s the happy kind!
It is the definition of the word bittersweet. I dropped off my only perfect boy in Boston 10 years this month. Now he lives on the other side of the world, but thankfully comes home for luxuriously long visits.