The Rising

Yesterday, I awoke to the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed.  If I were a night owl I would have known sooner, but I had gone to bed early so missed the initial elation shared by others in America.

Through the day my memories of September 11, 2001 kept returning.  I was in Kansas City nursing my father-in-law after major surgery and Hubby was in New Hampshire working on a project.  That beautiful morning I had taken a long walk almost down to the Plaza and when I returned Dad asked if I knew what had happened.  This was in my pre BlackBerry days so, no, I didn't know that two planes had plowed into the WTC towers.  Instinctively, I tried to call Hubby.  While trying to place the call the news came in that a plane had crashed into the Pentagon.   Hubby and I did get to chat just a few minutes.  Thereafter, I was only able to get one call placed ... to the clerk's office at the New Kenty County J&D Court.  I was canceling a hearing which I knew I would miss because the planes had all be ordered down.  The clerk was crying and I cried too.

During the next few days I felt so alone and disconnected.  I was separated from family and dogs, my local news sources, and friends.  I did manage to get a flight back to Virginia on Friday morning, the first day there were flights after 9/11.  It was a chaotic flight home because airplanes and crews were out of place having been ordered down at the airport closest to the planes' location when the order was issued.  I got to KCI at 4:00 a.m. and finally arrived in Richmond after 11:00 p.m.  The travelers that day were somber.  There was very little conversation.

Like everyone else it took me time to absorb what had happened and to understand that the world had changed for my country, for me.  I had many fitful nights with little sleep.  I imagine, like everyone else.

Some months later Springsteen issued  The Rising.  I found it hypnotic.  It is not his best work, not his most creative, but  it gave me solace and eased my lonliness.  Yesterday, after hearing of bin Laden's death The Rising came to mind and some of the lines from Empty Skies reminded me of that extraordinary string of days with no planes in the air.   

So I can't say that I celebrated bin Laden's death as much as breathed a sigh of relief.  I know Al Qaida is still out there, or rather, among us, but I felt satisfaction that a man who had hurt us so badly, had that pain brought home to him.  Revenge or justice.  I don't know.  I don't care.