"Perfect" Email

My friend Ken Owens with whom I worked for many years, sent me an email this evening. I had forgotten the significance of October 29th but Ken reminded me. His note follows:

Rick,

Do you remember where you were 18 years ago tonight? We met a lady named Grace for dinner. By we, I mean you, Tom, and I. Puzzled?

We had just arrived in Boston. We had a computer class beginning the next morning in Bedford. It was October 29, 1991. Tom and I came to your hotel room about 6:00pm. You had the windows open and your drapes were blowing horizontally across the room. It was coming a nor'easter outside.

The lady Grace was a hurricane that had made her way up the Atlantic coast to New England. The significance of the date and time was that it was within 30 minutes of the last message heard from the captain of the swordfishing boat "Andrea Gail". They had sailed too far east in search of swordfish and were returning to Gloucester when they were cut off by the hurricane, a nor'easter, and a massive low pressure system coming down out of Canada. All 6 souls on the fishing vessel were claimed by the sea. I never realized the circumstances we encountered until after the movie "The Perfect Storm" came out and I backtracked my training records. The story of the movie actually happened while we were there. Although the movie may be somewhat exaggerated the storm was horrendous. If you remember there was significant damage up and down the coast.

I was reminded of all of this while watching "The Perfect Storm" a couple of nights ago. You know I have a sentimental feeling about working men and women. These were 6 guys trying to earn a living for their families. They went to work one day and never returned home.

Ken