Well then, the old folks returned at the weekend from their jaunt ‘up north’ and telephoned to say they had arrived home safely. No mention of the newly Bazooka Joe coloured room................. Hmmm.......okay then, perhaps they have just walked through the front door and not been upstairs yet. Three calls later with still no referring to the new decor, I headed up the road and was met at the door by my Mum complaining I had filled her kitchen bin with empty cola tins and other assorted rubbish. At this point I helped her up the stairs (well she has had two weeks using an elevator so is a little out of practice), pushed open the spare bedroom door (that I had left further ajar than normal to prompt a viewing) and.....................”Oh, the boxes have gone then, that’s good......” By now I am amazed that the bubble gum pink walls have not screamed out in protest, so I helped proceedings by pointing at the room. Bing! Realisation set in and Mum finally noticed the new colour scheme. Praise be!
Contrary to my previous missive where I expected a sort of backhanded compliment, I was in fact met with thanks and praise from both my parents, although Dad did say he had been about to make a start on the painting.................Ok, right, when would that be then? This of course has confused my revenge plan. Looks like I will have to cancel delivery of the goat.
This week’s excellent email offer from an outfit called 50 Plus Online Dating promises “Love and Seniors is Our Speciality” with a link to view the profiles of single seniors in my area. Oh great, another organisation that thinks I am ready for Saga holidays, incontinence products and mobility support. I have so far resisted looking at the profiles as I fear I will be envious of any powered scooters these seniors might have (they are bound to be better than the three wheeled skateboard I can afford).
The weekend saw the passing of the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Everyone can remember where they were when it all started to happen (I was sitting at my desk at Vodafone, trying to access the internet to see if it was true or just rumour) and how the sheer brutality of what happened that day unfolded on our television screens. I clearly recall watching the coverage all evening on Sky News, and each time the scenes were shown hoping that the planes would not hit the towers. The courage of all the rescuers, whether professional or members of the public, was incredible; the way the mayor of NYC went to the heart of the area; strangers of all races and religions coming together to help each other.................these images were captured by the media at the time and were expanded on last week during a series of documentaries to mark the anniversary. Previously unseen footage was screened, including how the wounded were put on ferries to other areas of the Manhattan harbour area and emergency rooms were literally set up outdoors on the piers. Hospitals took patients in without the reams of paperwork usually insisted upon, every type of injury imaginable was seen and dealt with.
I visited Ground Zero in 2004 once the foundations had been laid for the reconstruction works. The builders had created a viewing area behind wire and board screens whilst the work was in progress. It was an eerie experience, and the area where the twin towers had stood seemed far too small, but I am glad I made the trip.
The world changed forever on 11th September 2001, so many innocent people were murdered in the name of religion, but we must not forget it is the minority element of any religion that carry out these incomprehensible acts of violence, and this should not make us turn against people simply because their God figure is different to our own. Only by uniting against those who choose to try and take all that is good away from the rest of us can we make the world as a whole a better and happier place for all of us.
R.I.P. all 2996 who died that day or as a result of it.
