grub's Journal: What about the good things Osama did?

I've always looked for the silver lining in a cloud, here's mine for 9/11.

In '01 I was working a 6 month contract doing network security stuff here in .ca. I had my TN visa in hand so I could move to Austin, TX to work at ud.com (they're the guys who assimilated the distributed.net crew) once my contract here was through.

We had a realtor lined up to sell the house, moving company arranged, etc.

My contract had ~6 weeks left when Sept. 11 happened. The immigration lawyer which UD supplied told me that the border was effectively closed.

Oh well, I still had a month and change of work in the contract, surely it would be settled by then, right?

The contract finished, the border was still tight. I wasn't working. So I took a few weeks off to basically play games, fuck the dog, whatever.

In Feb. 2002 the place I was contracted to on Sept. 11 heard I was still in town and offered me a position. Very soon after my ex and I got a divorce.

Fast forward a bit and I met Kim. And now we have Anna who will be 13 weeks old tomorrow, Sept. 12. I'm still working at the place and love what I do.

If it weren't for Osama's boys and their flight plans there'd be no Kim in my life, Anna wouldn't exist, and I probably wouldn't have this job that I love doing.

Weird how life works....

Have you had anything good come from what happened on Sept. 11?

Re:

[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

I can't

[Billosaur]

I probably should look for the silver lining, given that I found a new wife and have a lovely baby daughter of my own to show for it. But my life has also taken some dark turns too. It doesn't seem much different from before, except for a pain inside that won't go away. I stayed up this morning to watch the roll call of names. I cried and my 18-month old daughter hugged me, not knowing why I cried.

I was here, in NYC that day, a day I don't wish on my worst enemy and which no amount of time can seem to eas

Re:

[grub]

Life is strange.

Another silver lining I thought of ages ago: My mom died of a heart attack when I was 16. My dad remarried and not long after my step-mom had a baby boy. My half-brother is 20 years younger than me. He's 20 now and a really good guy, we get along just great. Now... if my mom didn't die, my half-brother wouldn't exist. So while I get sad every October 28 (she died that day in '82) I can look at my brother and know that some good came of it.

Life's paths can make you crazy if you think about

Not as good, but it's something...

[SkyWalk423]

I was visiting my parents and younger brother for my birthday (9/8) when it happened. I got to spend an extra week with them due to the air travel freeze. Not nearly as life-changing as your story, but it was nice to spend extra time with them. :)

Cheers!