Most of us here are still struggling to comprehend the magnitude of yesterday's disasters.
My young friend Christi still hasn't heard from her brother, a Wall Street stock broker. Tonight she's driving back to Boston to be with her parents... I pray they'll have good news waiting for her there.
Work was back to business this morning, with only the occasional check of the television in the conference room to see if they'd pulled any survivors from the rubble. I did my morning paperwork, work on a design project, contacted some shipping firms, dug through old shop files for info. Funny how yesterday it felt as though nothing would ever be normal again; while today was already 95% back to normal. I find that truly amazing.
I went to the Wednesday night training ride after work... all the usual suspects were there. No one was moping around. The evening seemed almost normal. I had to get out on the bike - I had to spend some time concentrating on something familiar, something which has always served me well as a form of therapy.
I never realized until yesterday how much time I spend looking up into the sky, noting the shape and speed and direction of the contrails left by airliners. I guess after 20+ years of riding, I've unconsciously learned to use them as weather indicators, so I felt a little off balance today, with no contrails overhead.
After the ride I went to into town for "karaoke night" at the pub. The place was packed, and although I don't care that much for karaoke, it was reassuring to get away from the television, and to be in a crowded room with singing and dancing and laughing.
Except for a few friends still stranded at distant airports, things in this part of the Midwest seem little-changed by yesterday's tragedy.
I'm sure the mood is very different in NYC and DC, but if terrorists thought they'd destroy our morale yesterday, they've made a horribly miscalculation.
No more warplanes over my hometown tonight.
Looking out my window now, I can't see any navigation lights in the clear night sky - that's another first.
I pray tonight that all of your friends and loved ones are safe and well.
Aldo Ross
Monroe, Ohio