whether I agree with them or not, I appreciate people taking the time to give an account of their impressions and memories of that day.
I remember one thought that had crossed my mind in the ensuing 24 hours was that they should kill as many innocent people as those responsible can hide behind to get to the bastards. (and I'd include myself in that too because no one is indispensable)
on 9/11 I was 46 years old. I wrote my tale of it a week later. Below is the first part of it. I'll spare you the union meeting rant that followed as I know some of you have already seen it.
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I was on the picket line that morning, doing time (8 'til noon, for $35 strike pay - God knows when I'll see it - apparently He has more pressing issues) with the rest of my UNDE/PSAC local, hittin' the bricks, blocking traffic a few minutes at a time, with the slim hope of actually affecting anything or even 'making a statement' (the military only had to whine a little to get their raise, so we thought that might work for us...making them whine, that is), even if that statement is only, "we can't get any respect, so we ain't giving any!"
Anyway, at 10am I offer to take over flagman duty for an hour, so I had to wear the reflector vest and hold the Stop/Slow sign and take my cues from the flagman a couple hundred feet away at the north end of our picket, and the next half-hour passed by uneventfully. I think it was around 10:30 (I had no watch on) that Ray, our local prez, grabbed a megaphone and addressed the crowd of strikers. He didn't point it my way, however, and though I tried, I couldn't make out, but wondered just the same, what he was saying to them, and no one walked over to apprise me. (Though I'd never given it a second thought that day, neither had I the inclination to inquire as to the subject of Ray's address, such was my state of shock and grief to follow. And it never occurred to me again, until I'd thought about writing this account the next day, and it struck me how bluntly rhetorical that question had become.)
Around a quarter-hour later, during one of the traffic stoppages, there were around 15 vehicles backed-up at my end when this exec-looking type gets out of his car, fifth from the front, and strides purposefully toward the MPs, who were in their vehicle on the shoulder adjacent to me, maintaining their police presence at the picket line so things don't get out of hand. The suit, indignantly gesturing in my direction, begins interrogating the MPs as they rise out of their vehicle to face him: "What gives this guy the right to block this road? I'd like to make a complaint - who do I lodge a complaint with?"
"Write your MP", I piped in, easily within ear-shot, and...no pun intended.
"...blah, blah, blah...", he persisted, his agitation mounting with every deeper shade of red evinced on his face.
Meanwhile, the flagman at the other end yelled, "Break!", and when the picketers cleared I flipped my sign around: SLOW, to which the traffic began to flow.
"...and these people are blocking traffic!", he raged on, unaccustomed as he most likely was to not having things his own way.
"Now you're the one who's blocking traffic, sir", I calmly interjected.
He glanced over and noticed the cars moving past me, turned around to see about 20 vehicles now backed-up behind his. He stormed off, disgusted, and as he drove past me I said, "Your patience is appreciated". (In retrospect I'm glad I didn't antagonize further with, "Have a nice day!") The cops just looked at me and smiled as I tipped my hat - they never had to say one word to the guy!
I had to stop the vehicle at the very end of that next line because the change had been called and picketers were commencing to cross. "Sorry," I apologized, "We'll only hold you up a few minutes; we appreciate your patience", and the driver, in army fatigues, didn't seem to mind.
About a minute later this driver rolls his window right down and says, "Have you heard?"
"Heard what?", I answered.
A week later now, and it's still too hard to fathom: "Terrorists hi-jacked two airliners and flew them into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Both buildings collapsed. They flew a third plane into the Pentagon", the chap related, his children looking bewildered in the back seat, trying to wrap their little minds around the significance of such news, as was I.
I was stunned, letting it sink in, the surrealism commandeered my brain, like I was Clark Kent being told the Daily Planet was rubble, and I was thinking if this doesn't begin World War III then I don't know what will. "Man, this could start World War Three", I blathered, unable to say anything beyond what I'd just thought. On cue, an automaton, I flipped the sign. He just nodded and drove on, a pall of gloom left on the day, and me, in his wake.
At the side of the road, I asked the MPs if they'd heard the news. They said, "Sure; we been listening to it on our radio here for the last hour".
'Thanks for the heads-up', I thought to myself while feeling like I was the last insignificant soul on Earth to find out.
My relief came a few minutes later; I handed him back the props while we exchanged incredulities. No one seemed to really know what to make of it or how it would bode for the future other than that it was not good. "How truly worthless our plight here now seems", I remember saying.
With me back on the picket line, about 11:15am, Ray manned the megaphone once more - this time I not only heard it, but anticipated it; he read from a newly dispatched net communique:
"In light of the tragic events in Washington and New York earlier today, security will inevitably be heightened at government offices and institutions. Continuing our picket lines in these circumstances could put our members at risk. In addition, many of our members would routinely assist in protecting the safety and security of Canadians as part of their jobs. Given the current situation, it is appropriate that they remain on the job. As a result, the PSAC is suspending all strike activity for today and the rest of this week.
"As public sector workers, our solidarity goes out to our Brothers and Sisters in New York and Washington, and to all those who are affected."
On that note we broke it off and pulled up stakes; cleaned up the area and headed home. On leaving I asked if the union meeting was still on for 7pm that evening. "Yes", came the reply.
