Aftereffects of September 11…
I received a package today.
I wasn’t expecting the package, the address was handwritten, I’d never heard of the sender and don’t even know anyone from Indiana, the contents of the long manila mailing envelope were lumpy and lopsided with soft spots in the middle, it was sealed with vast amounts of tape, glue and staples, it had excessive postage attached to it, and it was marked with the bold words “Please Hand Carry!”
Not to mention that I was recently stalked and harassed by a lunatic who had also threatened my friend with bodily harm, who called herself “Your Nemesis”, who hadn’t listened to the advice of the police, the FBI, or anyone else for that matter.
This package was the posterchild for Postal Service Notice 71, Bombs by Mail.
I didn’t seriously consider it a bomb, but I have to admit that it was with some trepidation that I carefully peeled back each layer, removed the staples, inspected each infinitesimal step of the way for wires and traps, gingerly peered inside the narrow opening at one end. The contents were still unidentifiable.
I soon realized that the package contained a dozen replacement clips I had requested online from the Safety 1st baby-product company. While not prominently advertised on their site, Safety 1st was apparently recently acquired by Dorel in Indiana, from whom the package originated. The lumpiness, lopsidedness, and relative softness were due to the fact that the twelve clips were wrapped in a small folded clump of bubblewrap. I cannot find an explanation for the excess postage, nor the handwritten words on the front of the envelope.
September 11 has touched us all and continues to reach out the occasional tentacle of dread and foreboding. With it comes uncertainty, mistrust, and a certain loss of innocence. Twenty days from now the media will, once again, inundate us with images of crashing planes, falling towers, and enveloping clouds of concrete dust.
While the date itself may someday lose its association with death and terror, the aftereffects of September 11 will live on forever…
I must admit I had a fleeting thought of letting the Safety First people know that their packaging cuold cause some trepidation, but then I remember what happened the last time I forwarded a column…