One final important note about that trip to London:
Along with many others determined to be defined by how we live, my Harry and I left London that summer amid the highest security at Heathrow Airport and beyond...
Unfortunately, amidst the wonderment of this vacation two thought-out but failed attempts at carnage were staged by terrorists at crime scenes one block from our hotel near Trafalgar Square. I admit that I was more scared than Harry. He's so much braver than me.
Our trip on the underground subway after the news arrived created a sense of nerve-wracking chaos as a massive amount of people made their way to the surface grasping for the light of day. As a precaution, we too made our way above ground and walked the five miles back to our hotel. Museums and theaters across the city closed, so we rearranged a few of our tours. When Harry went to sleep, like the night stalker I can become when anxiety strikes - I got up and quietly watched the media reports of the carnage over and over again. It was not a healthy thing to do and I can't tell you why I did it. It was like, this can't be happening again... Not here. Not now. Please, God, I prayed, just get us home safely to our Kate and Scott.
Armed guards were in full view along the highways and on top of buildings. Machine guns and bomb sniffing dogs were within our reach as their presence was leveraged by the British government to mitigate the risk of additional car bombings and suicide missions. And there I was - a mom from New Jersey - completely reminded of 9/11 and all those hard times that followed in New York City. I had lived all these safety precautions before when we defiantly returned to our jobs in Downtown Manhattan to do our part to heal the broken city we loved.
To be honest, because of these events (and the news reports I couldn't escape from)- that post-traumatic stress "thing" that I talked about in another Blog entry crept up on me in London bringing on a sense of sadness that paralyzed my senses for a while. But I was so determined... I had waited a lifetime to get here, so I could not allow a mood nourished by fear to steal my London moments from me! My internal struggle as I toured St. Paul's Cathedral and the Tower of London was real, but I fought like hell to not let these horrific circumstances blind me to everything that was beautiful around me. 9/11 taught me that if you do that, "they" win.
It felt very far from home for a couple of days as we walked along the Thames River, but through it all we were comforted by the common language of heroes who eloquently ushered in calm through courageous acts and deeds.
For us, the sights and history that collided as we toured Paris and the United Kingdom over those twelve days reminded us once again that creating an uptick in security anywhere in the world has always demanded bold steps from courageous heads of state, creative innovation from the thought leaders of our time and flawless execution.
When we made it home to Pt. Pleasant, we hugged our kids with an energy I cannot describe. The sparkle in their eyes and the warmth of their embrace reminded me that demanding less from world leaders can never be an option.
Harry and I had the time of our life in the Summer of 2007. No terrorist could steal that from us.
Best regards,
Everybody's Cousin Tish
Score: 20/51
Quote of the Day: "I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."
- Frank Herbert
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