a - 17 september 2001
From: "Anne"
Subject: Seen on a sign: "First, we pray."
Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 16:55:56 -0500
Hi, Michele!
MC Hammer was right - who knew? We definitely need to pray just to make it today! Lately when I pray, there’s so much I want to include, I feel like I’m forgetting something. And it is so sad that people are blaming God for this. I’m sure the people in that situation felt abandoned by Him - I probably would’ve felt that way too in the middle of all that, but they really weren’t. God is in control, although we can’t always see that right away.
As angry as I am about those bombings, I am also terrified of the thought of a war. It’s absolute madness! Last week at this time, we were all just going about our everyday lives, and then out of the blue those insane $%^&#’s do that and now the whole world is in danger. And your cousin is in the Marines? I know you are all concerned to say the least.
And it does totally suck that you may not get to go to Ireland because of that. Like I said, it is absolute madness! I can imagine how I’d feel if my plans were in danger of being cancelled because of that. Surely this mess will be largely straightened out by that time!
And can you believe how people are attacking Arab-Americans and others who look like Arabs? My bosses are Indian and this morning one of them told me how an Indian man in Arizona who ran a gas station was killed. There is no excuse for that! The people that are doing that are no better than the ones who hijacked those planes!
I’m getting off my soap box; well at least getting onto another one anyway. I saw Ray in his car about to leave his work place last night. I keep thinking that I’d love to see him so he can see how totally happy and over him I am. But then I think how not seeing him says that the most. Going to see him would prove that I still think about him from time to time. It would be great if I could go with some fabulous guy on a date to the restaurant where Ray works. I could say a very breezy and casual, "Oh Ray! I’d forgotten that you work here. Ray, this is my very good friend, Nicholas. Nicholas, this is Ray. Ray and I used to work together *years* ago at the Cracker Barrel. That seems like a lifetime ago, doesn’t it, Ray? It’s good to see you again; now could you please bring us some bread?" At that point I’d completely turn my attention to Nicholas - or whatever his name was.
I can *definitely* relate to your feelings about not having a boyfriend. It’s good that we have each other to talk to; don’t you hate it when happily married people try to tell you, "You’ll find someone." I always want to demand, "When exactly? So I can wear something nice that day." I can also understand about your family not relating to you. In the case of my mother, I wonder, "How can she not know how I feel? Did she never have this problem?"
On Saturday, Sara and I went to watch the Trail of Tears motorcycle procession - a large group of riders get together to ride and remember how the Native Americans were forced from their homes onto reservations. As you can imagine, thousands of motorcycles were stopping traffic. As I was taking pictures, some guy in a Jeep pulled up to ask me how long I thought we’d be "stuck there." I didn’t know. That guy was slightly peeved. He said, "I have a motorcycle, but this is just silly. Why don’t they go to the reservations and put up storm windows or something?" Huh? Anyway, he went to sit in line at the highway and wait for all the riders to pass. I told Sara that he was kind of cute, but he clearly wasn’t a patient guy. The search continues . . .
Oh, yes. Yesterday was our preacher’s last day. Between that and last week’s events, we had quite a crowd at church. We had a going away luncheon for him and his family after the service. You know how I kept mulling over the idea of giving John my email? Well, yesterday I kinda had the idea that if it was meant for me to, I’d have the chance to say goodbye to him and work my email "addy" in the conversation. As we were about to get up and head for the door, my sister went down the walkway (between where the tables were set up) and I notice John coming up that way. Sara stopped to speak to him. I didn’t want to stand there like he was coming over to see me, although I half-way thought he was. I said to Mom, "Let’s go this way" and we went to go around the line of tables the opposite way. I wasn’t moving too quickly and John was right behind me. At one point I thought he was trying to get my attention, so I half turned to say to him a very lame-sounding and quiet, "Y’all have a good trip." He said an equally quiet "thanks" and stopped to hug the necks of some elderly ladies. I walked onto the door and then to the car.
Continuing the yuckiness that was yesterday, I decided to go to the carwash and (gasp!) wash my car. The first one I went to was full, so I sat in the car waiting. I had been there a few minutes and some other broad pulled up on the opposite side to wait. The minute a bay was available, she drove in. Excuse me, but I was there first! I almost got out to go say something to her about it, but I didn’t really see her backing up and letting me have the spot. Some people are so rude! In the bay that she took, some schmoe was in it for about 5 or 10 minutes; he didn’t have a car - he was hosing off his floor mats. What in the world is he doing to those mats that requires him to hose them off for all that time with high-pressure water? I have a theory that crack-smoking was involved. Anyway, I drove off in a huff to the other car wash which had two open spots, thankyouverymuch. After I washed it, I wasn’t impressed with the quality of their wash. Next time, I’ll wash it like I usually do, with the hose and soapy water bucket at home.
The yuckiness continues … today in class I boldly tried to answer a question out loud in class and it was only partly correct … in other words: WRONG! I’m sure no one thought much about it, but I felt so stupid. I knew how to work the problem, but I blurted out the wrong thing.
That’s it for today. Talk to you soon! God bless!
Anne
God bless the USA!
