Healing

[Purple Fencer]

I went fencing last night, and it felt pretty good.

I just got home tonighjt and the place had been packed. Everything from beginner's classes going dry, to Felecia Zimmerman taking a lesson from Derek Cotton, to everything else in between. I think I did more bouts toonight then I've done in one sitting since Nationals.

Afterwards were got into discussing -- of course -- the NY events. Despite the heavy subject matter and intensity of the arguments at times, one of the beginners said that the trade center should be rebuilt as a giant middle finger, flipping the bird at Bin Lauda and his ilk, as if to say "screw you...we're still standing." We all laughed and you know what? It really gave my healing process a kick start.

Oh, the shock and disbelief will always be there, but at least I can laugh a bit now. Maybe I'll crank my drum corps music full blast in the car on the way to work tomorrow, maybe I'll listen to something other than the news radio. But, damn it, I can start functioning again!

You hear that, you ignorant, terrorist waste of sperm? You haven't beaten me, and you won't beat us!

[DamedEscrime]

Hear, hear, Sam!
I concur. Fencing was so good last night. I got in late from an 18 hour drive, but I had to get to my club. I had to do something "normal". If only I'd had a terrorist target. I have never before felt that I wanted to take up arms against anyone as I do now.

[its_me_mango]

sam, i don't think this is over my any stretch of the imagaination, they tried to hit the trade center 9 years ago, they failed, they tried it again and this time they got it. there are certain people in the usa who can take a little responsibility for this too, they like the saudie "look" it's like totally romantic, it appeals to their sence of eroticism, they want to wear robes and swish around a bunch. the girls love those white hoods in the u.s.a. they dig it, the guys run around and solicit for the nation of islam, my former neighborhood was rife with it, The young people have no idea that they entire nation will turn into a poverty sticken desert if we don't watch it. Does anyone realize that the middle eastnations used to be wealthy, and in ancient times it was fertile? the fertile nile river banks, they cultivated like crazy, they had rich valleys with good top soil and so forth, now no-one can grow a bean stalk in it. why? because they suck and they lost their good fortune and their water dried up. They should drop it and practice Buddhism.

[veeco]

Originally posted by its_me_mango:
<STRONG>sam, i don't think this is over my any stretch of the imagaination, they tried to hit the trade center 9 years ago, they failed, they tried it again and this time they got it. there are certain people in the usa who can take a little responsibility for this too, they like the saudie "look" it's like totally romantic, it appeals to their sence of eroticism, they want to wear robes and swish around a bunch. the girls love those white hoods in the u.s.a. they dig it, the guys run around and solicit for the nation of islam, my former neighborhood was rife with it, The young people have no idea that they entire nation will turn into a poverty sticken desert if we don't watch it. Does anyone realize that the middle eastnations used to be wealthy, and in ancient times it was fertile? the fertile nile river banks, they cultivated like crazy, they had rich valleys with good top soil and so forth, now no-one can grow a bean stalk in it. why? because they suck and they lost their good fortune and their water dried up. They should drop it and practice Buddhism.</STRONG>

Anyone who knows a little bit of history knows that at the time the middle east had fertile grounds the climate in this region was nothing like it is now. Yes, the climate has changed dramatically over the last 2000 or so years. Now it is warmer therefore it is harder to cultivate anything. You probably would not be able to grow one field of anything yourself, so why do you say they suck? This is ridiculous. Also, please remember the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover". I don't care if someone wears a David star, a Christian cross, why would someone care if someone wears a white hood and likes it?

Mango it seems to me you are getting very bitter and you should not react the way you are. It would be better to tackle this problem with a positive attitude than starting a massive bashing on this board

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: veeco ]

[Catlady]

Here, here Purple! This reminds me of an inspirational quote I recently rediscovered:

"Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift.
Maybe that's why it's called the present".

Seriously folks, if it happens again it happens and no amount of worrying will stop it. We need to take precautions and take action of course, but worrying and pulling long faces only makes us miserable. We've got to go out there and truly live as if it's the last day we've got because it might be. As I've said before, even barring terrorist attacks, I could get creamed by a bus crossing the street tomorrow, or a meteor may land in the midst of my bedroom tonight while I'm sleeping. THERE IS NO SURE WAY OF KNOWING IF ANY OF US WILL BE HERE TOMORROW. Again, and being one of the world's biggest worriers I need to take my own advice, worrying won't help, going out and living and being in the moment just might.
Oddly enough there have been several events in my personal life before the terrorist attacks that have brought this message home. A few weeks ago the granddaughter of one of my neighbors, a beautiful little girl, who I often see running around in front of my house while she plays with the other kids on the block, was lying in a coma in the hospital due to meningitis. Fortunately she's recovered and is mostly back to normal, but it was quite possible that she could have died instead. Another neighbor has been fighting some sort of bacterial infection all summer and he is currently in the ICU because it has started to affect his kidneys. I don't know if he'll be all right or not, although I pray he will. The dentist I have gone to since I was a kid recently died of metastisized lung cancer. His kids would be around my age, 26,and younger. Despite being pretty capable of taking care of myself by now, I still shudder at the thought of losing one of my parents at this time. While metastasized cancer of any kind is never good, he was expected to have a bit more time left. Due to his job,he wasn't one of my favorite people to see, but his death is still incredibly sad. He'll never nag me about not flossing enough, or ask me what I'm up to with school or work again, that's pretty sad when I think about it. Finally, I found out last night that the grandmother of one of my fencing buddies died earlier this week. The grandmother was in pretty good shape until having to go to the ER last Friday, she died on Monday. It seems that there was something seriously wrong with her, but again, she wasn't supposed to have died so soon. She did manage to die easily, in her sleep like she always wanted, and that's some comfort, but I know it must have been a terrible shock. Her granddaughter, my friend, was looking forward to the NAC in Sandy because it would be a chance for both her mother and grandmother to see her fence live in a major competition. That's changed now. Granted, I believe that her grandmother will likely be there watching her fence anyway, but it's not quite the same.
So the point is we can lose loved ones, or die ourselves pretty quickly. Often there's no warning, it just happens. So be in the moment. Tell those you love that you love them. Be in the moment. When you're stuck in traffic, instead of getting upset, take time to notice the people on the street, and in the other cars, notice the sun shining on your face through the window, or conversely, the rain as it hits the roof of your car. Feel how it feels, smells how it smells. Be there now. Peace everybody.

[edew]

Originally posted by veeco:
<STRONG>

Anyone who knows a little bit of history knows that at the time the middle east had fertile grounds the climate in this region was nothing like it is now. Yes, the climate has changed dramatically over the last 2000 or so years. Now it is warmer therefore it is harder to cultivate anything. You probably would not be able to grow one field of anything yourself, so why do you say they suck? This is ridiculous. Also, please remember the saying "don't judge a book by it's cover". I don't care if someone wears a David star, a Christian cross, why would someone care if someone wears a white hood and likes it?

Mango it seems to me you are getting very bitter and you should not react the way you are. It would be better to tackle this problem with a positive attitude than starting a massive bashing on this board

[ 09-14-2001: Message edited by: veeco ]</STRONG>

I agree. Mango's comments are totally uncalled for. There is absolutely no evidence for any assertions Mango made.

There is no increased interest in the "Saudi" look by people here in the US. Very few arabs in the US wear robes and swish around. Virtually all wear the same western garb that we all do. There are a lot of Indians (sub-continent Indians) who wear traditional robes and such. But they're hardly arabs (and I'm tending to believe you're mistaking one for the other).

The Nation of Islam is primarily a africa-american advocacy (if that) group with zero connection to arab nations, other than that they both follow Mohammed.

There's no indication that the US will turn into a poverty-stricken desert due to inattentivity. The US may very well turn into a desert in, say, 1500 years, but that may be due to some global climate change which humans have no control over.

At one time, the Sahara desert was a very fruitful, ecologically vibrant area. Things change, and change due to global forces outside the control of humans. There is no evidence it was spoiled by neglect. Sure, farming techniques in the first and early second millennia were crude and abusive to the land, but sustainable farming techniques weren't developed until the late 1700s (crop rotation, irrigation, etc.), and even now, farming techniques are not resource-optimal.

The Middle East is still a very rich, and powerful, area. They traded their farms for oil fields. It is also an area with a very old, long culture. Culture is not something that can be changed in a short span of a few generations.

If the men and women prefer the women to completely cover themselves, we don't have much to say against it, however silly it might appear to some of us. If they want to drive on the left side of the road as opposed to the right, who are we to argue?

It would be nice, if someone were to initiate some stereotyping bashing, that appropriate facts rather than unfounded or completely false allegations are used.