Osma bin Laden, 9/11, and Mom

Good news at last! Osama bin Laden is dead. Hearing the news last night brought back memories from 9/11 almost 10 years ago. Prior, to hearing this news I am told about the passing of  Katie a woman that  attended Wayne elementary, Jackson junior high, and Denby high school with me in Detroit. I saw her at the 30^th, 40^th, and 50^th high school reunion. She is a class officer and popular while in high school. One thing that stands out to me is that she is a good friendly person that I would’ve liked to known better. Do not put things off is a lesson to be learned. That is a hard lesson to learn .I felt sad hearing the news. It goes to show you that life is fragile and that things always change.

September of 2001 is a month of sorrow in part because of 9/11. My mother is in the hospital as a result of surgery due to a cardiac problem. She is 92 at the time and the surgery is considered successful but the patient miserable. She is not doing well and requires round-the-clock care. I fly out to be with her during her hospitalization in Maryland. I remember feeling guilty because I pushed for the surgery. I hoped that the surgery is going to prolong her life. I don’t want her to die. However, she didn’t recover well and a series of medical complications followed. To put it bluntly, she is miserable and loses her will to live. I feel helpless and sad that I cannot ease her pain and discomfort. Surgery is not always the answer. I didn’t think of the implications and ramifications of surgery that could follow a person at her age. Mother, I love you and miss you. Hearing about bin Laden and Katie brought back feelings of sorrow and memories of my mom.

I left Baltimore on 9/10 and returned to California. The morning of 9/11, I watched in horror and disbelief on television the tragedy of the day. I could not believe what I saw. I certainly wanted revenge and was happy to hear President Bush say what he said to Congress and our nation. I don’t remember if I knew about bin Laden prior to that day. But I admit that I’m pleased he got shot by our military. His death is not an end to terrorism but symbolically it is a good thing for this country. We finally got him.

On the 15^th of September the World Ride and Tie championship is held in Eur Valley, California which is close to Truckee and Lake Tahoe. The event is 35 mountainous miles long. I didn’t have a partner for the event until Laura, the race manager, got us together sometime in September. Calvin is from Washington State and he brought the “borrowed” horse. I drove up to base camp and met Calvin on Friday the 14^th. Calvin checked out some of the course and came up with a strategy that I agreed to. The first 2-3 miles is mostly uphill until you reach the flat area before the downhill. He suggested that I start out on the horse and ride until I reach that flat area. At that time, I didn’t realize the length or steepness at the beginning since I didn’t check it out. However, I told him that Friday okay with the strategy. I didn’t think anything more about it until race day.

Then came race day, the ride began. There are around 40 teams that day. With a lot of hollering excitement the race began. Whenever Skip Lightfoot is in a race he does a lot of yelling and hollering at the beginning. It’s a blast. So we are off at a gallop. I began passing lots of teams since many of the riders are getting off to tie their horse. I continue riding and riding up this steep difficult trail. At this point may be halfway up the trail, I do the idiotic thing. I get off my horse and tie it to a tree.  I am under the delusion that Calvin is going to see this unfamiliar “borrowed “horse tied to a tree. My rationale for getting off the horse is that I’m worried about Calvin being able to run this difficult distance. So now, I start running up this treacherous trail and reach the leveling off place where I am supposed to tie the horse. Lots of horses and teams are passing me. I look around behind me. Foolish me, I expect to see my partner coming on the horse. Now, what do I do? All right, I turn around and head back down the trail hoping to see Calvin on the horse. Do I see Calvin on the horse? No, I eventually find Calvin running up the trail. He is not looking for a tied horse and therefore does not see a tied horse. How could he?

Tomorrow, I will finish the stories. You might figure out the ending. I’m also thinking about Sunday’s run in the Oakland hills. Right now I am tired. This is not a good sign.