My Norwegian Cousins' 9/11

I was driving to work this morning and heard on the radio that Olso, Norway had suffered a terrorist bombing.  The bomb went off near the Prime Ministers’ office.  VERY close to my cousins’ office.  When I got to my desk I couldn’t dial the phone fast enough to talk with cousin Tove and find out if she was alright.

Physically she is fine, but emotionally and mentally she is just where I was watching the horror of 9/11…..why?  As the sky was dark, when she heard the explosion she thought it was thunder.  Seeing people running toward her (not the usual on Oslo’s city streets) she realized something bigger than a thunder storm was happening.

She said the bomb was placed where it could do the most damage to the government offices.  Some good news was the timing.  She advised that a lot of workers were on vacation and the people at work were on “summer hours”, so they were off at 3:00pm.  The bomb exploded at 3:15 or 3:20 and didn’t hurt as many as it could have.

“But, we are such a small peaceful country”.  Sometimes, I think that is the why.  “They” are not at all peaceful and they want other to feel that pain.  They are angry to the point that the destruction of peace brings comfort.  They want innocents and naivety to share the pain, however impossible.

Still, that tone of helpless disbelief in her whispered “why”.  Just like mine sounded while watching the towers collapse. 

I understand the feeling and asked the why.  America understands the feeling and asked the why.  Tove, you’re in my thoughts.  Norway, you’re in America’s thoughts.

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