An Awful Night

September 14-15, 2001-Sleepless in Surfer’s

Our neighbors had the TV blaring all night. These are the same ones who kept us up on 9/11. David tried to knock on the door one night but the TV was so loud they didn't hear him. Then we decided it was unsafe to confront them. We heard their door slam at 2:15AM last night followed by the TV being turned on. It was a 007 movie. We reported it to the off site night switchboard. They called security, which is also off site. By the time they arrived (4:20AM) the movie had just ended. We heard security come out of the elevator, listen at the door, and go down again. A few minutes after they left (the time it takes to rewind a videotape) the news went on. They had opened their balcony doors so the noise was even worse. We spoke with the switchboard several times and he spoke with security and management, but it wasn't until 5:30 AM when management got through to the tenant's mobile phone. It finally got quiet. I found out this morning that the apartment above the offenders was also complaining. The noisemakers have been asked to leave

On a more positive note, our cabinet door and kitchen faucet are fixed. Our front door still sticks, but that’s the contractor's responsibility, not maintenance. I tried another manicurist yesterday. David has his hot dog/bagel quest and I have my nail quest. The result was that she drew blood. She did, however, provide a perspective of the U.S. from a lovely 30-year-old Aussie viewpoint. She’s a professional water skier and was in the U.S. for seven months last year skiing at Sea World in San Antonio and Jazz World (?) in New Orleans. I asked her how she liked the Cajun food and she told me she liked spicy Thai cooking, but Cajun tasted burned. She much preferred Olive Garden. I too like Olive Garden, but if I were in New Orleans that would be the last place I'd go. One thing she really loved about living in America was that we have squirrels. There are none here. But then we don't have kookaburras.

9/11 Fallout

I don’t know if I told you, but only two people called us the day the attack happened just to ask how we were and if our family was OK. The man whose daughter is stuck in Canada was at temple last night. He’s the one who thought services should be canceled. As I waited to go into services, several people came up to ask how I was doing. All I could say was that it’s so far away. One man told me, “Those things happen.” I was shocked at the insensitivity. After services, Janet Bruce put her arm around me and gave me a hug. I asked her if she was the only one who understood. She said that a lot of temple members were older and had seen so much in their lifetime. They’d lived through WWI, WWII, the Holocaust, some were survivors, they had seen Israeli terrorist attacks, etc. I think I understand what she was saying.

I told Janet I don’t like what this has brought out in me. Lurking under my pacifist exterior was a mean spirited desire for revenge. I’m experiencing a sense of shame too at the naïve and brazen pride I felt and exhibited in being a U.S. citizen. I felt invulnerable. I also feel guilty. What took me so long to get it? First they attacked the Israelis and I was horrified, I protested, but it was so far away. Then they attacked the Kuwaitis and they were not “my people,” but my country defended them. They slaughtered Afghanis and blew up their religious icons, but that was a Russian problem. It took me this long to understand that there are no “others” in this world anymore. It’s too small and connected.

I’ve become paranoid. I know these thoughts are unhealthy, but I don’t see an end to this madness. When there was a train wreck in Utah, I thought of terrorism. I began to imagine which bridges could be blown up in order to continue the attack on the country’s other transportation systems. The terrorists are biding their time. It’s an eerie reminder of the tunnels we crawled through in Cu Chi, Vietnam. The enemy is among us daily and are indistinguishable from us. Pogo was right. We have met the enemy and he is us.

You remain a major source of information. The 24-hour coverage here has given way to Saturday morning cartoons. We’ve just read the articles some of you sent about what Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson discussed. For those of you who haven’t read about it, they’ve blamed the terrorist attacks on the feminists, liberals, homosexuals, ACLU and People for the American Way (read Jews), pro-choice advocates, etc. I have used many epithets in describing them. Now, at this time in our country’s history, I will call them traitors.

The Aussies are showing signs of smugness. They’re glad to be an unnoticed nation on the bottom of the globe. John Howard may have disturbed this notion for them by offering aid to the U.S.

Sermonizing

David was at the top of his game last night. His robes arrived with the last parcels and people remarked on what an imposing presence he was on the bima (pulpit). His sermon was a succinct interweaving of the Torah portion and current events. I cried. Not all of you on the email list celebrate Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It’s a time for reflection and taking inventory of one’s past; a time to atone for what we have knowingly or unknowingly done to harm others; a time of conversation between God and us; but first we must turn to humankind and personally atone for wrongs we might have perpetrated. To you all, we wish the happiest New Year possible. We know we’re in your thoughts and prayers. You’ll be in ours.

Toby