Still Want The 11th Back...

My previous post on 9/11 and a few interesting comments back and forth between Karen and myself on a 9/11 post made me rethink things a little. No, I'm not changing my opinion, but simply thinking a little deeper. Another fellow blogger, cunning_linguist, commented that my post was a "well written piece of diatribe". And I have to agree. It is a diatribe. Sure, I could not know how horrible it was unless I was actually there at ground zero, as he was in this post. And I'm definitely not American, so I wouldn't know the feeling of having my country attacked. Infact, if anything, people would probably expect me to be glad, since I'm obviously a part of the same religion as the misguided zealot who rammed their planes into the buildings. Which, btw, I never considered them as Muslims as they don't value the sanctity of life. I wrote a similar post earlier. And to make things clear, I am definitely not anti-American. I have my folks and friends there and wouldn't mind staying there if given an opportunity.

But I do know the feeling of what it might be like to have loved ones at that moment in time. I was in A-Levels at that time. My father had relocated to NYC in late 1999, shortly after my parents separated. I wasn't exactly all lovey-dovey with dad, but I was worried about how he was living there at such an old age all by himself. I do remember the time when the news broke out. I was on my way to get my hair done when I heard it on the radio. A plane struck the WTC. I initially laughed. It was unbelievable. We always make jokes about certain stereotyped dumb-witted individuals who become pilots and fly to close to landmarks to get a good view. I actually believed some stupid pilot flew too close. And then I heard it being a terrorist attack.

And that's when reality hit me. My dad!!!! He passes by there everyday to work! I freaked. My sister was with me at that time and I begged her to call and get dad on the phone. She said not to try then as lines wouldn't be functional anyway and they'd probably put dad in to more trouble if he received calls from the Middle East. So I sat there and stewed and prayed he'd be fine. PS: My dad had no brush in with the laws nor was an illegal immigrant. He's just paranoid in general.

We finally managed to get through a day or two later. My dad, the paranoid freak that he is, berated us for calling him considering who crashed the planes and how crazy everything would get in the next few days. I was rather hurt as I wondered why it would be such a bad thing for me to call and see if he's still alive. Don't people from the Middle East or elsewhere have loved ones living in NYC? What is wrong in calling? I don't care if the phones are tapped. I'm not doing anything wrong. I wanted to see if my father was still alive. I'm not even Arab. Muslim yes, but hell, quite a few Muslims died that day. And I don't mean the low lives who crashed the plane.

Anyway, after relieved that he was hale and hearty, I was worried for him still. A recent immigrant, and that too from Dubai, it surely wouldn't be easy living there with emotions running high. And from what I gathered, it wasn't. My dad was let go from his job, despite being highly trained and experienced. That might explain my bitterness a bit.

Anyway, I suppose all is moot now since I'm not in a good place with my dad. But still, at that point of time, I was scared and worried for him. And I felt the anguish of the nation, even if I didn't belong to it. And I was scared, even from here, of the repercussions of the act. Would Dubai no longer be peaceful? Would WW3 come to pass? Is it really the end of the world? I was scared and worried and petrified and cried for days. But as time passed, the things I dreaded didn't happen.

But it hasn't made life any easier. I seriously curse those damn idiots who hijacked the plane for every time I need to fly anywhere in the world. Thanks to them I can't carry my deo or perfume and have to stink and stew for hours. Thanks to them, I have to leave my baggage unlocked. Thanks to them, I have to stuff my handbag with my underwear as I can't live without undergarments should my unlocked check-in luggage get pilfered. Thanks to them my flights take longer as there are more 'random checks' (which btw, aren't so random). I am thankful, though, that besides those little annoyances, I haven't had any issues getting a visit visa to the States, nor have I been hustled and checked at airports. I have had relatively smooth times at the immigration counters.

Which is why I feel that yes, honor those who passed away in the tragedy. But please stop making a big deal worldwide. And yes, I'd still like September 11th back please...