re: #260 petesh

The anniversary has a particular, unusual meaning for me. I was in France, where my marriage was falling apart, despite what I wanted and what I thought was best for all involved, all of whom were having a hard time. My stepson called me over to the TV — it was afternoon there — and I watched the Towers in French, through a debilitating fog of personal grief that isolated me.

When I got back to the U.S., I had to make a conscious effort to make allowances for the feelings other Americans had, which I just could not share. I kept quiet; hell, I was depressed. My detachment made it simple for me to oppose the Afghanistan attack while also realizing there was no way we (my anti-war friends and I) were going to stop it. It seemed important, however, to demonstrate, and I am glad I did.

After 16 years, I am healed (and have been in a relationship for 10 years). The country? I wonder.

And we are still fighting in Afghanistan. However, I feel pretty certain that even if Al Gore or any other plausible person had been President in 2001 besides George Bush, we would’ve assisted the rebels in removing the Taliban who were harboring Al Qaeda.