by Eric Martin
Apropos of nothing in particular, this childhood remembrance by one of Osama bin Laden's sons published in Vanity Fair caught my interest. A brief excerpt from an otherwise intriguing piece:
Since the time I could observe and reason, I have mainly known my father to be composed, no matter what might be happening. That’s because he believes that everything of earthly life is in the hands of God. It is difficult, therefore, for me to imagine that he became so excited when my mother told him I was about to be born that he momentarily misplaced his keys.
After a frantic search, I’m told he settled my mother hastily in the car before spinning off at a reckless speed. Luckily he had recently purchased a new automobile, the latest Mercedes, because on that day he tested all its working parts. I’ve been told it was golden in color, something so beautiful that I imagine the vehicle as a golden carriage tearing through the wide palm-tree-lined boulevards of Jeddah, Saudia Arabia.
Within a short while after that chaotic journey, I made my appearance, becoming the fourth child born to my parents.
Worth a look.
One man's terrorist is another man's dad.
Posted by: Sapient | November 16, 2009 at 02:23 PM
I think Rob Petrie originally did this routine of the absent-minded, nervous dad-to-be trying to be methodical about getting wife Laura to the hospital once contractions started on the old Dick Van Dyke Show in the 1960s.
He went to bed fully clothed, including shoes, and practiced putting on his hat with the least amount of motion necessary as he leapt from the bed brandishing the car keys.
Naturally things went awry (laura had all of the presence of mind), but Richie got born anyway.
Then Rob, back to his comfort zone, returned to the office the next day to plan the knocking down of the World Trade Center with Buddy, Sally, Mel, and Alan Brady, who consulted the mannequin heads on his desk displaying his toupees about the advisability of such a sketch.
"Whattaya think, fellas?"
It's also known that Osama Bin Laden trips and somersaults over the ottoman every time he enters the cave after arriving from work.
Stay tuned for next week's show, when neighbor Al Zarquiri gets Osama into another fix by parking his fishing boat in Osama's garage. Laura panics, thinking Rob has blown the money she was saving for new draperies in the living room.
Posted by: John Thullen | November 16, 2009 at 02:57 PM
OBL: He's depraved on account of he's deprived.
Posted by: russell | November 16, 2009 at 03:02 PM
One man's terrorist is another man's terrorist dad.
Posted by: D'd'd'dave | November 16, 2009 at 03:07 PM
John Thullen: funniest comment in weeks.
Posted by: Sapient | November 16, 2009 at 03:18 PM
John Thullen is, or should be, a national treasure.... and/or he should be writing sitcoms:)
(PS: I didn't remember Alan talking to his toupees. Admittedly, my memories of that show are *very* old.)
(And now I want to see it again.)
Posted by: CaseyL | November 16, 2009 at 03:57 PM
Steve Coll's bio of the bin Laden family is also good -- I remember reading about OBL's father's early trials there as well.
Posted by: Point | November 16, 2009 at 08:57 PM
Thanks for making me keep OW on my RSS John!
Posted by: dan k | November 16, 2009 at 11:11 PM
I remember the episode that John refers to, although the WTC part of it seems improbable without some scifi time-travel elements to the plot that seemed lacking in most other Dick Van Dyke episodes.
Except for the one where Rob is dreaming that everyone else is aliens with eyes in the backs of their heads, and his closets are filled with walnuts.
I think Thullen must have had a role in writing that one.
Posted by: Slartibartfast | November 17, 2009 at 07:50 AM