Milestones
Today is my 79th birthday, and except for knowing what the wrinkled cover of this body looks like, I really don't feel much different inside than thirty years ago or in fact fifty years ago. I am grateful for this many years of life on this remarkable planet that can hopefully survive the abuse we are heaping upon it.
Since the temperatures are cooling enough here in the Valley of the Sun, to resume walking outdoors, I rose early enough to walk from my residence to a newspaper dispensing kiosk in our community which is about a mile plus, round trip there and back. It is so good to again abandon the treadmill, which is a necessity during the torrid summer temperatures, and again re-establish a routine of a daily walk. To me, it feels so much more total, physically, than treadmilling. At this age, I feel very fortunate to not have any serious mobility impairments.I am limited by pulmonary considerations and it will take me about six weeks before I can double my distance and improve my walking pace.
A large portion of the day was spent on the telephone, talking with relatives and friends out of state. And I still tried to catch the telecast of the U.S.Open tennis matches that are in semi and finals this week-end. And I attended my usual Saturday computer club Q&A meeting session and went to the gym to complete my rehab maintenance exercises, minus the treadmilling.
But all of this is under the shadow of the impending five year anniversary of 9/11. That morning five years ago, I was just ready to leave the house for my tennis groups play time reservation and I was about to switch off the television when the reports started. Since I knew the others of my doubles group were probably on their way to the courts, I turned off the set and went off and played tennis. Others arriving for the time slot following ours, briefed us on the event and we were all practically struck dumb by the immensity of the catastrophe and quickly headed home to stayed glued to the tube for news the remainder of that day and following days.
Five years doesn't begin to reduce the sharpness of those days and it is sad and perhaps a commentary on the crass commercialization in our society, that ABC is planning a politicized "docu-drama" called "The Path to 9/11"- which they claim is not biased. This so easily refuted when it is revealed that the chief script writer is a highly partisan conservative Republican, and only a Republican member of the 9/11 Commission was selected as a consultant, and not a Democrat as a balanced approach would demand both, and that many of the historic individuals included in the fabricating of this mockery of a horrific national event - were never contacted for fact checking purposes. Individuals such as Madeline Albright, former President Clinton, Richard Clarke and Sandy Berger have all read script portions of the way they are presented in the farce and have lodged objections to this non-objective presentation.
We have hit so very many low points in the political life of this country since the George W. Bush administation has been in the driving seat. Many times one thinks things just cannot get any worse in the political warfare orchestrated by W's architect, but here we are. Let us hope that ABC/Disney corporate officers will have an attack of conscience and decide to cancel this program. Please let us avoid the absolute nadir of using the anniversary of 9/11 in an attempt to score points for a failing administration.
That would make a nice birthday gift to this old lady.
graysmoke
Since the temperatures are cooling enough here in the Valley of the Sun, to resume walking outdoors, I rose early enough to walk from my residence to a newspaper dispensing kiosk in our community which is about a mile plus, round trip there and back. It is so good to again abandon the treadmill, which is a necessity during the torrid summer temperatures, and again re-establish a routine of a daily walk. To me, it feels so much more total, physically, than treadmilling. At this age, I feel very fortunate to not have any serious mobility impairments.I am limited by pulmonary considerations and it will take me about six weeks before I can double my distance and improve my walking pace.
A large portion of the day was spent on the telephone, talking with relatives and friends out of state. And I still tried to catch the telecast of the U.S.Open tennis matches that are in semi and finals this week-end. And I attended my usual Saturday computer club Q&A meeting session and went to the gym to complete my rehab maintenance exercises, minus the treadmilling.
But all of this is under the shadow of the impending five year anniversary of 9/11. That morning five years ago, I was just ready to leave the house for my tennis groups play time reservation and I was about to switch off the television when the reports started. Since I knew the others of my doubles group were probably on their way to the courts, I turned off the set and went off and played tennis. Others arriving for the time slot following ours, briefed us on the event and we were all practically struck dumb by the immensity of the catastrophe and quickly headed home to stayed glued to the tube for news the remainder of that day and following days.
Five years doesn't begin to reduce the sharpness of those days and it is sad and perhaps a commentary on the crass commercialization in our society, that ABC is planning a politicized "docu-drama" called "The Path to 9/11"- which they claim is not biased. This so easily refuted when it is revealed that the chief script writer is a highly partisan conservative Republican, and only a Republican member of the 9/11 Commission was selected as a consultant, and not a Democrat as a balanced approach would demand both, and that many of the historic individuals included in the fabricating of this mockery of a horrific national event - were never contacted for fact checking purposes. Individuals such as Madeline Albright, former President Clinton, Richard Clarke and Sandy Berger have all read script portions of the way they are presented in the farce and have lodged objections to this non-objective presentation.
We have hit so very many low points in the political life of this country since the George W. Bush administation has been in the driving seat. Many times one thinks things just cannot get any worse in the political warfare orchestrated by W's architect, but here we are. Let us hope that ABC/Disney corporate officers will have an attack of conscience and decide to cancel this program. Please let us avoid the absolute nadir of using the anniversary of 9/11 in an attempt to score points for a failing administration.
That would make a nice birthday gift to this old lady.
graysmoke
posted by graysmoke @ 7:50 PM
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