Home sweet home?

[bronwynrh]

It's happened again.

"In the summer of 2002, Saudi officials arrested al-Qaida sympathizers who tried to blow up Ras Tanura -- a major Saudi oil terminal and refinery -- and the pipelines that serve them."

For those of you who don't know, Ras Tanura was home to me for about 14 years. I don't remember hearing anything about foiled plots against that compound, and am . . . I don't know. I can't even describe how it makes me feel. Sick, disgusted, a little afraid, a little bit of an odd sort of tugging at my heart and gut.

I can never go back there. Sometimes, believe it or not, I wish I could. In spite of everything, and as inexplicable as it may seem to you, I still consider it home.

Just try to imagine what it would feel like to never see your home town, your school, your favorite playgrounds and hangouts. Not even just to never see them, but to know that it is an impossibility. You couldn't revisit your past no matter how much you may want to do so. Sometimes, when I'm around people here in the States, around people who have never left the country, sometimes never the state or hometown. . . I feel as though my past was impossible. It will never exist or even be comprehensible to most everyone I will ever meet.

I'm sure I could be more coherent if I really tried, but all I can think right now is, "what a bloody fucking mess."

Comments

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I'm curious how you came to live there?

[bramey.livejournal.com]

My dad took a job with ARAMCO (now Saudi ARAMCO) back in 1982. He'd actually turned down their first offer in '76-'77 - I think mom was pregnant with me at the time.

Anyway, I started kindergarten and went through 9th grade graduation in the same building - Ras Tanura school.

Our community was right on the beach of the Gulf, and it was (for the most part) pretty fantastic to grow up there. Sucked for mom. . . she may have something to say about how she feels about being there. Dad sort of went from happy to miserable, but that was a matter of being treated like crap at his job - nothing inherent to the country.

If you have a speedy connection, check out This site. (http://www.aramcoexpats.com/GalleryDetail.asp?gallery=26) On the left side of the page are links to image galleries. Anything that starts with RT or Ras Tanura is stuff from my home compound. . . home town, whatever.

Oh yeah, there are links with the name Donna Pugh - my dad and she worked together and were good friends.

*surreal*

[dburr13.livejournal.com]

this is affecting everyone, all around the world...no one's memories seem to be safe...and no one's life is as safe as they may believe it to be...this is an evil so big that it has spread all over the world...spread by lost souls who's only power in this world is to hurt and destroy...and when and if they (al qaida) are finally destroyed, what will follow them?...i don't know what else to say.

[bramey.livejournal.com]

I know. Even if (and that's a big IF) the big nasties with the popular name are knocked out of commission, there are plenty of copy cats and other such nasties just waiting for their time in the sun.

[chrisf-uk.livejournal.com]

*Reads and then sighs and shakes head sadly*

[thatthingido.livejournal.com]

Wow. Just...wow.
*hug*
What do I say to that? I can't imagine what you're going through. I can't imagine anyone trying to obliterate my former home. I'm guessing my brother and sister-in-law have an idea, her being Israeli and him having lived there for 10 years.

[thatthingido.livejournal.com]

Checked out the photos too. Gorgeous.

[bramey.livejournal.com]

Amazing what you can do in the desert when you have unlimited water and money for sprinkler systems.