Well, like it or not, life does move forward, including unwelcome aspects such as catching a cold. I thought I was coming down with one yesterday evening, but wasn't sure of it until this morning. I can't say that I'm too upset about it. It's not as if there's a desk-full of work awaiting me in the office.

In my journal the other day, I mentioned talking to my Dad, and how he'd told me about how much the British felt for Americans right now. What has also struck me, though, is the level of American reaction to one incident in England. One of the network anchors - either Brokaw or Rather, I don't recall which - mentioned in an interview that the only moment of coverage at which he'd been unable to contain his emotions over the last week was when he was reporting on the playing of the American national anthem during the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

I know that I found that very touching too. But I am, after all, a Brit. I suppose it touched me because I was proud that my fellow countrymen were showing such feeling towards America. I'm also, at heart, a mushy sentimental guy (which is different from being an emotional person), which is why I'm prone to cry during movies and when listening to music.

I'm less clear about why that moment would affect Americans so strongly. It's not just Rather or Brokaw it affected; I've heard from a few other Americans too. What I'd like to believe is that there remains a strong, and unusual level of kinship and identification between our two peoples. Whether that is true or not, I don't know.

What I do suspect is that in the case of the British, their own level of identification with the tragedy is probably, in no small part, due to their own experiences with bombs and terrorism, both during the Second World War, and more recently as a result of attacks from the IRA.

In any event, it IS good to see this closer bonding between different peoples, no matter what the reason. I only wish that the very few people who've used this time as an excuse to express hatred to American muslims and Arab-Americans would feel this spirit. But I'm preaching to the converted here. Most of us don't come across such sentiment from the people we know, so we don't have the opportunity of reaching people like that.