Today, I spent a good deal of time in my garden, putting up a cute little white picket-y fence and weeding. I was make-up free and hairdo free (this info will be useful in a minute). I was wearing my uuuugly bermuda shorts and by the time I was finished, the lower third of my body was smeared with dirt, I was red-faced, sweaty and in need of a nice hot shower. I opted to wait for all that until I had dropped off kidlet at church for her youth group meeting at 6:30 p.m. She was wearing a spaghetti strap, belly-button revealing top and levi shorts. We got to church at 6:25 and were greeted by one of the moms. She looked a bit horrified and asked if we had been in church this morning. Nope. Decided to ditch...

The youth group, in fact the entire congregation was going on a field trip tonight, to the local Mosque! We had been invited, as part of a multi-religious group, to sit and talk, and be with each other during our time of crisis. What an opportunity! How I wanted to go! HOW INAPPROPRIATELY WE WERE DRESSED, AND THE THING STARTED AT 7:15!!!

We flew down the hill and ran upstairs and I stuck the lower third of my body under the shower, ran a brush through my hair and sprayed it - tres chic, no?, threw on some appropriately modest clothes, and flew out the door. We were going to become social activists!

When you're a parent, it's just wonderful when opportunities arise to show your kid how things are, and how things should be. (plus, just between you and me, I was most curious to see how many of my former boyfriends would be there... During the '70's (disco era) I dated so many middle eastern types, ahh. Memories) Only one boyfriend was there, but he was the big one. When I was 21, I worked in a laboratory at a small hospital. HE was a big time doctor (and quite the horn-dog). He swept me off my feet and for a while, I was crazy about him. We'd make out in the medical records department and the G.I. lab - all the nurses were talking about us - He'd be at the hospital checking on his patients, and call me at home - and I would torture him with tales of how I was in the bubble bath, all nekkid and everything... One time, after the hospital Christmas party, the bacteriologist and I went back to his house - and we seduced him and we had ourselves a little menage a trois (sorry, can't spell in French). Let me tell you - they're not all they're cracked up to be. You have to stay really, really busy....

Anyway, I digress. He was there (he's kind of an important Muslim - the head of some big group that I can't tell you about because then you might know who he is - but, let me tell you - I'd LOVE TO) Anyway, he didn't recognize me (maybe) and at any rate, I wasn't looking forward to reminiscing, seeing as I've "filled out" in the past 25 years. But it was nice to see him!

The program was very nicely done on such short notice. Both ministers from my church spoke, as did a couple of Rabbis, an Imam or two, some Captain in the Salvation Army, a Mormon, a Presbyterian, a non-denominational lady - there were nuns and priests in the audience and about 700 in attendance overall. They were really surprised. I think they were only expecting about 100 people. Everyone was gracious, and I was so happy to be there. This is going to sound weird, but I don't care. I love the way they smell. I swear, in my former life, I had to have been Indian or Pakistani, because I always feel safe and warm and happy when I am smelling them! God, I just sat there and breathed in and in and in for two hours. It was truly heaven...

All in all, it made me feel better to see for myself the logical, reasonable, intelligent people in my community. It will make it easier for me when I have to deal with my hate-mongering boss in the morning.

PEACE BE UPON YOU!

September 16, 2001

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