Bis

The universe really wants me to know my emergency procedures.

I thought, when I heard this news, "Man, I'm not ready for this to happen again." Then I thought, "I bet London isn't, either."

In Which I am Yet Again Self-Absorbed in the Face of the Grander Scheme of Things

It took a catastrophe of the magnitude seen yesterday to make me realize something new about myself. Despite my proclaimed and inveterate French-ophility, through my work and in my recent travels, I have also fallen in love with Mother England. And it wrenched me to see someone, or a group of someones, hurt my new beloved.

I've never met a Brit I didn't like. Granted, I haven't met many. But as I fielded calls from worried parents and schnozzy media, I really started thinking about the handful that I do know personally, and there's not a bad seed among the lot. Laid-back, able to see the big picture, ready to go for a pint at a moment's notice.

Today I chose to wear my red and white England shirt, as a small statement of solidarity. Four years ago I read "Nous sommes tous américains" and wondered what kind of schizophrenia, laudable as it was, might have given rise to that statement. Now, unfortunately, I understand.