WWP would be remiss if he did not take note of the anniversary today of Mount St. Helens' eruption 24 years ago today. After all, for those of us who lived in the Pacific Northwest in 1980, there is little that can rival the memory of the cataclysm that decapitated a mountain, destroyed a national forest and forever changed Portland's scenic view, to say nothing of the 57 lives claimed that day.
For some people, Mount St. Helens is something of an abstraction, a "where where you then?" sort of life marker. For others, Mount St. Helens is simply another tourist destination, a reason to stop at Huffstadt Bluffs to try out one of the "Mud Floe" ice cream sundaes.
But for a small group of folks, Mount St. Helens is something else altogether, something personal.
Four years ago, after living in that latter group for 20 years, someone we all know found himself, and his personal story, on the front-page of the morning's Oregonian. Here's why.
Well, I'll be damned. Words fail, Pablo.
Posted by: Jack Bog | Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 03:45 AM
I'm also speechless, yet want to extend...something (sympathy, perhaps?)
The mind boggles at what it would be like to have something so personal inextricably woven into a historical event like this.
Posted by: Betsy | Wednesday, May 19, 2004 at 05:17 PM
Thanks for the nice thoughts, both of you. [Somehow, WWP knew you'd be the first two to respond.]
WWP doesn't bring this up very often, for the very reason that it tends to, well, render folks speechless.
As for MSH, it's just one of those things. Life goes on...and life is good.
Posted by: Worldwide Pablo | Thursday, May 20, 2004 at 08:20 PM