Anniversary Mania

Tomorrow will mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Princess Diana. Many who know me know that as a hobby, I enjoy studying pre-mid-20th Century European royal history. However, it ends there. As sad as her passing was, I have always believed that had she worn her seat belt that night, she would be here to continue the freedom she had just begun celebrating after her subsequent divorce and new found success as the "People's Princess". Not to be cynical. It's not at all about that. I mourn for her children and truly believed she would have done so much had she lived. It was a mistake. A mistake that unfortunately, Diana paid dearly for.

Many have already been asking that time honored question - Where were you when you heard of her death? My story is probably a bit unusual. I had just returned home, shook up, because I had been in the subway when a person fell to their death in front of an oncoming train. The mayhem which ensued after that incident rattled me so much I canceled all plans and went home. I happened to turn on the TV and saw the breaking news about Diana. It was only several minutes later when they came back on and announced she had died. What an interesting contrast of events that night. Two deaths. One nameless, another famous.

The next day, as I lay flowers at the doorway of the British Embassy here in New York, I stepped back, and began to really examine the chaos and ghoulishness occurring in my midst. I left with feelings of regret that I had even bothered to get involved with such a nonsensical faceless outpouring of grief. To this day, I cringe when I see any impromptu displays of memorials at accident sites and the like. I have nothing against those who choose to participate in the creation and/or adoration of them, and I certainly would never think poorly on those who do. But, I came to believe that the money that was poured into buying flowers, candles, and stuffed animals to adorn doorways and the front gates of palaces, should have instead poured into the bank accounts of the charities Diana had worked so tirelessly for.

In the mean time, I won't be around for all the fanfare of the tenth anniversary of her death. We're visiting dead relatives and their previous homes for mom's genealogy hobby. Anyone who knows me knows that I loves me my Boston. If I had to, I'd move in a heartbeat and never look back. Something about the city vibe, mixed with those classic New England sensibilities, runs deep within my soul. I am a New Yorker, but ethnically, I am New England.

Another plus side of the trip is that last year when we visited, I didn't know about the NPS Passport program. Bummed that I missed out on an opportunity for many stamps after the fact, I'll be able to play catch up. Now that I've got my mother addicted, we'll make the rounds along the Freedom Trail. Trust me, we're not going out of our way considering most of the cancellation stops coincide with the areas we need to be.

So bye for now! We've got a lot planned and it looks like beautiful weather will be on our side.