Remember them today

Dear All,

Last night, towards midnight, I was on the nordic track, exercising. I was upset because I'd found some highly figured wood for some cabinet doors, and I was so excited about it, I took in in and showed it to Doorlink. She rejected it, out of hand, because she just wanted "plain" wood on the cabinet faces. Anyway, I can never go right to sleep after exercising, and I was so upset about the Doorlink thing that I was disinclined to try. So I sat down at the computer and looked for a way to waste time. I decided to see what was most popular this week on youtube.

Skipping over the britney spears stuff, the big things were remembrances of sept 11. I hadn't seen those videos for a while, so I watched them. Horrific stuff: the planes, the buildings, the people. It brought all the memories of that day rushing back... 6000 students to worry about, no-one knowing what was going on, having to set up communications channels for all those worried parents, keep the staff together (one of our faculty members was on the pentagon plane), all the rumors about other planes in the air, every road jammed so there was no escape, nothing for it but react to the changing situation and be ready for the next thing, whatever it would be, and many other things and emotions I could mention, awful things...

I turned off the computer. Clearly, I'm still not ready to think about that day. It might be a while. But I did learn one thing: it was just plain silly to be upset with Doorlink over such a small thing. I think Rick says something like that at the end of Casablanca: the problems of two people don't amount to a hill of beans by comparision. I can't believe I was actually upset about a discussion of figured vs. non-figured wood, or a few words that were exchanged because of it. And I thought of the very end of the rhyme of the ancient mariner: "a sadder and a wiser man, he woke the morrow morn."

So here's hoping we can all put this into peaceful perspective. Remember, for a few days after sept 11, when nobody was honking at each other over some small road dispute, and people were talking to other people they hadn't spoken to in years, or who they passed everyday and never spoke to? I know it's been a few years, but I remember that interlude of peace as well as I remember all the other things. I hope this forum can be a place where we can find that kind of peace, in an otherwise very troubled world.

Peace,

Bill

Very well stated Bill, thank you.

Bill your post was pretty unenlightening, as well as ironic, well when talking about the Britney Spears/ Paris Hilton stuff. Have you ever noticed those two people are always scowling? Well they say the more challenges you have in life, the more subdued, more patient you become. I have had some challenges, and most normal people do...read that, people who are not rich brats that get what they want. If I had a choice between going through life and scowling with a fistful of money in my hand, or going through life poor but smiling, I'll take the latter. Which is good I guess because I seem to be taking the latter route anyway

A few months ago there was a discussion on FWW about cedar shingles. One member on here was decidedly against them, while I just love them. Anyway there was a reply from that guy (name with held out of respect for that woodworker)that said "I hope we don't get into a scrap over something silly like cedar shingles." You guys know I have been through a lot, so my response was quick:

As for the P-ning contest, no worries there my friend. Once you have been divorced, had you parents house burn down, and had your sister killed in a car accident, you quickly learn that getting upset about some stupid siding choice is just downright crazy. Sometimes it take stuff like that to keep your priorities straight.

Its just so ironic. I spent a week in a mental institution and yet I think I am well rooted in sanity.

As for you Bill, I am glad you realized that figured wood-versus non-figured wood really is no big deal. Family is all you have in life. The smart people in life learn that fact quickly. Some unfortunately never do. Thanks for sharing your story Bill. I enjoyed it..

Jeff your cousin sounds like my Dad. He did 2 tours in Vietnam as a Medic, but NEVER talks about it. NEVER!. We never watched movies growing up about Ramboo or whatever. He's said maybe 3 stories in the last 33 years I have been alive, but for the most part just blocks it from his mind I guess.

I am pretty proud of my dad though and for two things. The first is being a foster parent and helping 100's of kids having a better life. Adopting 6 additional kids (3 of us are natural birth) is pretty special.

The other thing was saving 2 lives. Both people were injured in car accidents and had their windpipes crushed. He always has a utility knife on him and did a trechotonmy right there in the ditch. He literally saved two lives from his training in Vietnam. One of those guys was a teenager that grew up to be the Volunteer Fire Chief here in town. When his house caught fire, Rodney was there to help put out the flames.

I've always said good goes around.

As for the Twin Towers, someday I will tell Alyson that I was there for the clean up. She might like to know that I guess. Heck someday I will tell her mom too (my wife); she doesn't even know. I don't talk about it much. No sense to really. It was no big deal. We had a job to do and did it. We even got paid for it. There was far to many others that lost more and did volunteer work. They should get the thanks and the credit. I think the first thing was what shut most of us down. 2500 people does not sound like much, and in a city of 11 million people the numbers would not seem to add up, but we would go back to the hotel knowing the maids, the receptionist, the bell-hops lost, or knew people who were killed that day. What do you say to them after toiling there all night? (we worked nights so as not to impeeded the subway sytem). Well I can tell you what you say. Nothing. Sometimes things are just better left unsaid.