An e-mail received from a buddy in Dublin this morning:
>Hi guys, > >I needed to relate this experience with my friends, all of whom I >care deeply about, and all of whom I know will be dealing with >this terrible event in their own heartfelt ways. > >Without being bigheaded, if you think it may help to pass this on >to others, especially in the U.S., where I have heard that coverage >of non-U.S. events has been limited, please feel free. > >Yesterday (Friday) was declared a National Day Of Mourning >here by the Irish government, in addition to the three minutes >of silence held across Europe. Every business, school, pub, >cinema - everywhere - closed all day. Even gas stations closed. >It was weird driving around with everywhere shut down like >that. Hundreds of masses and memorial services from all >denominations were held all over the country, and many >thousands attended in deep grief. > >Last night, at about 10.10 p.m., I drove to the American >Embassy in Dublin. Since Wednesday morning, many thousands >of people have been showing up there to pay their respects and to >sign the Books Of Condolence to the American people, and >particularly to those who have lost their lives and loved ones in >this tragedy. By the way, other Books are being signed all over >Ireland, and probably the world. > >I had watched the evening news earlier at a friend's house, and >saw that the queue to sign the Books at the Embassy was over >two and a half hours long, at about 6 p.m. on Friday evening. >And that was in addition to the long queues at other venues in >Dublin. As of this morning, over 40,000 people have left very >personal messages in the Books. There are so many people >going there that the Embassy has placed 10 Books at a time >under a temporary gazebo, to help reduce the waiting time. > >As you queue up around the block (and even at this hour it >took me over 30 minutes), and the nearer you get to the signing >area, bouquets of flowers, teddy bears, clothing and other >personal items are piled up along the walls and railings of the >Embassy. Literally thousands of them. It is like a river of >flowers. And every single one of them has a very personal >message attached from the people who left it there, often >from whole families and groups of friends together. As we >queued up, we read some of these messages, with tears >appearing in many eyes, mine included. They are from >people right across the spectrum, from desolate and angry >Americans, and many Americans who want forgiveness, too, >from pensioners to young children, sports teams, and groups >of other nationalities, too. There were very many messages >and tributes that just yanked at the heart strings, but I wish >to relate these two to you, as they were the ones that >affected me most. > >The first was from an unidentified commercial airline pilot. >They had left a huge bouquet of flowers, and in the middle >of it he/she had placed a list of the names of all the flight >crews of the crashed planes, with the simple message >underneath: You will never be forgotten. Taped to the >note was his/her captain's shoulder stripes. > >The second had me in floods of tears, and they are >returning now as I write this. It was a simple bunch of >handpicked garden flowers taped to an old well-worn, >and obviously well-loved, teddy bear. Attached to the >hands of the teddy was a note written in pencil, in shaky >writing. To the best of my recollection it said, "To all >the little children whose Mummys and Daddys have >died in New York, they are now with the angels, and we >are praying for you every day." It was signed by Sinead, >age 4, and Laura, age 6. > >I cannot describe the level of emotion being felt here, >either by the nation as a whole or by myself. The mixed >feelings are there too, ranging from a huge desire for >revenge and retribution, and on the other hand feeling there >must be another way to deal with this. And of course, >just a simple inability to comprehend the whole tragedy. >A numbness, in fact. > >Last night, on the way home from the Embassy, I found >myself hoping and praying that the people who have been >entrusted to act in this situation will appreciate the support >that is coming from the whole world, even from the likes of >China, Pakistan, Russia and the Middle East. The most >enduring image for me from this whole tragedy is not from >New York, or in fact anywhere in the U.S. It is a TV image >of a frail-looking Yasser Arafat on a stretcher donating >blood!! > >I have many other views about what should happen from here, >most of them conflicting, and am very grateful not to have to >decide what to do. That must be an awful place to be right >now. Suffice it to say, the ordinary people of Dublin, Ireland, >Europe and the world, are praying and grieving for the people >of New York, Washington D.C. and Pittsburgh, and the entire >U.S., like never before. > >Love and peace to all, > >Dermot