Ms. Cranky apologizes for being out of touch for a while. She was on vacation in the south of our country where her family and some good friends have landed. She will be posting on this blog more actively soon.
On vacation, there’s not much to be cranky about. You sleep late, swim a lot which Ms. Cranky loves to do and she got to see her wonderful three grandnephews often, their two gorgeous new puppies, their sweet older dog and ‘Famous,’ the rabbit and then with her friends in another area, three more lovely children, one of whom tried out his brilliant magic tricks on her. She can still see Andrew’s beautiful and innocent-looking eyes as he asks --- “Are you sure your card’s red?” and, though Ms. Cranky wanted to outsmart his tricks, she would always end up saying the wrong thing and he’d work his magic on her. That boy is just so convincing.
With her family, there were myriad football practices and actual games as well as lacrosse practice, so Ms. Cranky spent a lot of time in beautiful suburban parks, amazing parks and, though she’s not a great sports fan, she loved the “Americana” of it --- the families out with their kids, lugging equipment, the coaches so serious and eager, her oldest nephew gave a heart-rending speech one day after their team lost. He’s a volunteer coach. Her other nephew is a teacher and coach in a school. She’s very proud of both of them.
All these sports events are a lot of work and discipline, a lot of washing of uniforms and finding cleats. And, then the kids get home to homework fairly late. But, the family thing and being outdoors, the color of the sky, the sweet smell of the grass --- it was a wonderful tableau. Ms. Cranky who has never been much of a sports fan came back feeling that there are lots worse things a person could do with their time.
But, you can get pretty cranky about the traffic in those gorgeous southern areas! You could sit in your car forever it seems so Ms. Cranky was glad to get home and hop a good old bus yesterday. She’s had enough traffic jams for a while but it’s always good to get away and it’s always good to be with young children and soft dogs and travel gives such perspective, it gives you a chance to remember people and things you might have forgotten in the hubbub of daily life.
So, Cranky’s back home and revved up for fall and its many offerings in this great city. Her calendar is already full for next week. And this Sunday she will be joining with other New Yorkers in remembrance of that horrendous, unbearable day 10 years ago though it seems impossible that it’s been that many years.
At the time of the tragedy, Ms. Cranky was working at a magazine that had a huge rifle on display and dead animals hanging from the walls and right over her desk a set of antlers. Ms. Cranky needs to work badly and cannot afford to say “no” to a job but this magazine was a hunting magazine and Cranky’s a total animal lover. But, on that day of all days, it was better that she be where she was than where she usually worked which was directly across the highway from the World Trade Center or she would have looked out the window and seen things that no one should ever ever see and that no one should certainly have ever ever gone through.
So, Cranky sat in that magazine office after all her colleagues went home (she could not get through to her neighborhood till later that night), all upset with huge brown deer eyes staring knowingly over her. It was an incongruous situation at best, that job. But, on the most incongruous day ever, Cranky tried to make the most of it. She was afraid and lonely in the now empty offices but she was more afraid to go outside.
Ms. Cranky is glad to be home and after Sunday’s many remembrance activities, she’ll get cranked up again and write more columns.
But, for now, she wishes you a happy end of summer and joins with all in your thoughts, feelings and prayers this Sunday.
My best to all the families and friends directly affected by September 11, 2001. There are no words. But, then, there never were.
Ms. Cranky
September 8, 2011
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