Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Snap out of it!
Take me out of this listlessness, I silently screamed early this morning.Was I kicked out of my wits when I got an email from Paul:
Dear family and friends,
In view of this early evening's train bombings in Mumbai, please know that I am safe at home. The bombings occurred around the suburb that I live and work in, so the situation was pretty scary.
It also did not help that all stores and restaurants closed early. I was left with the horrific idea of having nothing to eat for dinner since I was unable to do my weekend grocery. Thankfully, Smokin' Joe Pizza was preparing to close when I called, so I ordered something called Chaat Paneer Masala Pizza. It tasted as horrible as its name, but given the present situation, I am glad I was not the chicken that went on those pizzas.)
The local and national mobile phone network is down, though, so I am unable to determine whether my staff and colleagues have been able to reach home safely. The bombings began when people were rushing to get home.
Your thoughts and prayers for the people of India will be very helpful.
It was after I read his message that I noticed my CNN Breaking News email alert a couple of emails back. In my state of lethargy, I never bothered to open that email. I would have known an hour or so before that something has happened somewhere where I knew someone. I therefore made it a point to open the next email alert and found out another train disaster had unfolded in Chicago. Thank God there were no casualties reported there (let's hope).
While I'm being fed all these by the information superhighway, the torrential rains continue to drown the sounds of the feel good music I was listening to. That's okay. I'm lucky that's the only thing bothering me at the moment.
More on the bombing in Mumbai at CNN.com.
I've offered a prayer for the people who are in anguish right now and the souls who I hope will rest in peace. Ei, Paul, I also said a prayer of thanks you weren't the chicken you just ate. Next time, stack up on Happy Time biscuits.
Whew, what a way to snap out of my lethargy.
