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On September 11th all of our lives changed.
Not as much as the people directly involved, but in other ways; some minor,
some major. My granddaughters were let out of school early.
They live on a military base and attend the school there. The next
day when they returned to school the changes in their lives were major.
Parents now had to walk their kids to the door and turn them over to school
officials. No parents were allowed inside the school building.
They were no longer allowed to go outside at recess. Backpacks were
no longer allowed. They had timed bathroom breaks and a teacher always
had to accompany them to the restrooms. When the parents went to
pick up their children they had to show two forms of picture ID.
Luckily my granddaughters we able to understand what was going on and were
not as afraid as some other kids might have been. They did worry
about whether Dad would be going to fight the war. When our daughter
April was deployed to Kuwait they were not old enough to understand what
war was. Now they do.
.
It changed my life in some ways too, though not
as much as theirs. I worried about them being safe. I was called
in to work because one of the girls lived on the base and with the base
being completely closed down for most of that day, no one on, no one off.
To go on base we have to navigate around concrete barriers, show two picture
forms of ID (one of which must be a military ID). And we repeat this
procedure for each building we enter on base. I spent 22 years as
a military wife and have never seen restrictions like this. I appreciate
these restrictions because the safety of my daughter, grandchildren and
son-in-law depend on them. I have friends who are already deployed
and others that expect to be deployed. I worry about them and feel
great empathy for their families. I pray for all of them.
.
It has affected this small town because one of
our locals, retired police officer Al Marchand, was on flight 175, which
hit the second tower. I have talked to people who have relatives
who worked in the towers or near the Pentagon. I have handed out
dozens of Ken McClellan's Towers
Picture. People say it gives them great comfort. I
felt very sad for one of the girls where I worked who wanted to go see
her Marine brother before he deployed only to have her car breakdown an
hour from here. If I had another car I would have let her borrow
it. I worry about and wonder where the next attack will be and hope
that if it is not preempted it doesn't happen here, which means it will
happen in some other city and cause loss and pain for the people there.
I worry for all of us.
.
I am proud to see the way Americans have pulled
together and are showing their pride in America. Remember when that
flag you have is no longer usable to please turn it into the local Guard
or Reserve so it can be properly destroyed. Our flag does not belong
in a trash can when it becomes ragged, it deserves to be destroyed properly.
I am saddened to see that we are not supporting our military personnel
by sending them cards, letters, pictures, and little treats to make their
lives a little bit better. I have one box that will be going out
this week and will start on another. These men and women are putting
their lives on the line for us, and yes they knew that might happen when
they signed their enlistment papers, but it never hurts to let anyone know
they and their efforts are appreciated.
.
While I normally do not post opinions regarding
politics I can't tell you how glad I am that we have a President BUsh and
not a president Gore in office. I have asked several military personnel
if they can imagine Gore as their leader now and most of their answers
are unprintable. I have yet to come across one who wishes Gore were in
office. We have a great President with an exemplary Cabinet and support
team (including God, our First Lady Laura Bush, George H.W. and Barbara
Bush). Our Commander in Chief is doing what must be done to protect
us and try to insure no further terrorists attacks are carried out.
I can tell he takes this job seriously and does not make decisions lightly.
I hope he will continue to lead in the same manner he is now.
.
I feel great sadness for all the Afghani people
who have suffered under the Taliban regime and those who will suffer because
of this war. Not only those still in Afghanistan, but the refugees
and the relatives here who wonder if they will ever see their family again.
Wouldn't it be nice if we could have a little talk and solve our problems
with each other? War is not pretty. War is not fun. It
is not a macho thing with an army of men wanting to show they can kick
someone else's butt. It is a situation most would rather avoid at
all costs. People will be wounded or die. They will never come
home to see the family they left behind. They can feel both physical
and mental pain. War sucks and always will. But do we have
an alternative? I think the answer is no at this point in time.
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So take care of yourselves and each other.
Keep an eye out and be aware of what is happening around you. If
something seems out of place or odd call it to the attention of law enforcement.
So what if its nothing and you feel silly? What if its something
and you save lives including your own? Hug your wife/husband and
kids each day before you go to work. Let the words "I love you" become
common in your household. Listen to each other, especially those
you hold dear. Show them how much you care. And look for something
humorous every day. Without laughter we cannot move forward.
And God knows we need to move forward right now.
.
Trish
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PS Have I found any new Hot Wheels lately?
Nope. I have been spending my spare money on other things that are
more important. Hopefully I'll feel like hunting Hot Wheels again
soon. And some of them will go in Big Arv's box.
