September

It's such a beautiful day today in Seattle. Crystal clear blue skies. The sunlight is dappled and rippling, likes waves on the water - so much different than a mid-summer sunny day. Yet it's warm and gorgeous. Almost exactly the same kind of day we had here on that horrible Sept. 11 eight years ago.

What I remember most about that day, besides how truly horrific and terrible it was, is that the day itself was so absolutely beautiful. Glued to my couch and the teevee for the entire day, I remember repeatedly walking to the doorway or the back yard and just looking up at the sky in wonder at how pretty it could be, especially on a day so full of tragedy. Of course it was a lot more quiet that day. No traffic, no planes in the sky, just silence. Today is the usual noise and hustle and bustle.

It's been a long time. Lots of things have changed. Most of them not for the better, if I'm being honest. 2001 was a good year for me overall. For the business, for all kinds of things. The past few, not so much. Not being a whiner or complaining, but it's been kind of tough lately.

Whenever I hear that ridiculous question, "do you feel safer today than you did then?" I just have to shake my head. How could you possibly? Nobody in their wildest imaginations thought something like that could happen here. But after witnessing that live, now you can imagine all kinds of horrors, happening all over, in all kinds of ways - ways that can never fully be prevented. The naivete is lost, and once gone, cannot be returned.

Today I'm just enjoying the beauty. I've got loads of work, but I need to just poke my head out, or eat my little lunch under the perfect sky and breathe deep. It's just too pretty to ignore. Life is good.