Date Posted:18:15:46 09/16/01 Sun Author: vonda Subject: and from Ireland
A Chara,
I write this to you, who have been a friend and supporter to the Irish, and to me personally, for so very long and if this seems a bit rambling, I apologise for that as I am simply numb right now as we all must be:
Well, I got that line typed , but Dear God, I am so utterly heartbroken and just plain “numb” that I do not know even where to begin to say or speak what I feel, what I've seen, what I've felt and how helpless I feel............... anger, tears, isolation, fear, worry and hundreds of other emotions running round my head, but most of all helplessness and powerless to make a difference how ever so slight, especially being so far away and with only (until recently) the BBC's version and spin of events, often totally inaccurate and mildly condescending, but always focusing on the obviously eminent attack which will come most likely soon.
My step brother worked next to the WTC. We have had no word about him.
All I am saying here is that I hope Americans can step back and think that this is like nothing else we have ever known, or possibly ever WILL know. Because of that, we are all suffering in our own way and that there is no real “right or wrong” way to think, react, or feel on this.
We must not let the madmen who did this to claim the biggest victory of all, the victory of bringing division to America and making old friends into enemies, making people say things that will be remembered always, in the heat of pain and emotion.
It is that which hurts me so much living in the the north, and with so many ties to America, family, friends, etc, to be here isolated and suffering deeply like no one here can even imagine for what happened on Sept 11th, and to then watch people in America who I respect and care deeply.
I am just another person grappling with this un-imaginable thing that I witnessed and keep seeing over and over in my minds eye. I can tell you it never totally leaves my consciousness, it invades even in my restless sleep, the pictures will be forever in my mind.
