Psycho-Babble Social | for general support | Framed
This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | List of forums | Search | FAQ

Re: My father is still alive. (long) » SLS

Posted by Elizabeth on September 12, 2001, at 21:17:16

In reply to My father is still alive. (long), posted by SLS on September 12, 2001, at 12:22:00

> My father is still alive.

Scott -- I have only an inkling of the horror you must have felt when you learned about the bombings -- my sister and my boyfriend were both in New York, though not at the WTC. I rejoice with you for your father (congratulate him for me for all the exercise he got climbing down all those stairs, too :-) ).

I think that this will go down in history as one of those moments when everyone remembers where they were, like the Kennedy assassination. It makes Tim McVeigh look like a petty criminal.

> I guess I am by nature a positive person. I think this is somehow different from being optimistic.

I agree. And this sort of event -- something major, shocking, hard-hitting -- seems to bring out the best in people. It gave me the motivation to keep trying to call family and friends, when all the phone lines were down. I did get my parents, in NC, on the phone and so found out pretty quickly that my sister was safe. Then, later, I was relieved again to learn that my BF's workplace isn't anywhere near the WTC, but I was still intensely worried about him because I hadn't heard from him and neither had any of his friends and family. When he finally called, I contacted his family and then collapsed, exhausted. He came home a few hours later (he reports that his feet were killing him from walking all over Manhattan trying to find a way to get out of the city).

I was getting phone calls from friends all day just as you were, wanting to know if my BF was safe. It was such a pleasure when I was finally able to tell them that he was safe for sure.

> I couldn't believe that any kind of bomb could produce such an event.

Two words: jet fuel.

> In our minds and hearts, so went my father. My mother began to cry. I hugged her with console with the recognition of defeat and irreconcileable loss.

I have an almost superstitious belief in Murphy's Law. Even though I had no idea how close they were to the site (not very, it turned out), I was terrified for my sister and my lover.

My sister is six years younger and is one of the nicest people I've ever known. She's smart and creative. I believe she will make great movies if she does end up choosing that career (she's a film student at NYU). I think she could become President easily if she wanted -- she has the charisma (and lack of skeletons in the closet) to be a successful politician, and the intelligence and wisdom to be a great leader. If she had died, it would have been a horrible loss, I think, to the world as well as to our family. In spite of the age difference (or maybe because of it), I'm very close to her. She's always been there for me -- even though she's not had the debilitating depression that I suffer from, she has always been supportive and empathic.

My boyfriend has it so hard. He gets up early in the morning to commute to the city for work. He hardly sees his children. And he has this girlfriend who's such a downer! < g > Seriously -- he's had a hard life in a lot of different ways, but we're working hard on building a good life for ourselves, and I think we're making some progress. The point is, I don't know where I would go or what I would do if I were to lose him.

> I don't know what allows me to become so strong in times of family crises when I cannot leave the couch the moment before they occur.

Me neither. (I guess it has something to do with catecholamines.) I didn't have anybody here to "direct" -- I was alone in my home all day.

> I guess I just wanted to relate what it was like to be so close to such a disaster. We are so lucky. So, so lucky.

We are. < virtual hug >

-elizabeth


Share
Tweet  

Thread

 

Post a new follow-up

Your message only Include above post


Notify the administrators

They will then review this post with the posting guidelines in mind.

To contact them about something other than this post, please use this form instead.

 

Start a new thread

 
Google
dr-bob.org www
Search options and examples
[amazon] for
in

This thread | Show all | Post follow-up | Start new thread | FAQ
Psycho-Babble Social | Framed

poster:Elizabeth thread:11242
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010909/msgs/11279.html