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Moving to Florida was the best thing I could have done. I've never felt more at home here, or felt more at peace with myself. My only regret is that I spent so many years of my life unhappy and unfulfilled. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to do whatever it takes to be happy with your life. After all, we're here for such a relatively short time, why not try to make the best of it.   -THE DAY AFTER - Like many Americans, I was stunned when I heard the news yesterday. I will never forget any aspect of what I was doing, or where I was, when I heard about the attack on America yesterday. My brother Mark was the one to tell me what was going on. My Mother and I were at the doctor's office, waiting for her appointment, when my cell phone went off at 10am. As I answered the phone I had gone outside to talk. The minute he told me the news I was unbeliebably shaken. I walked back into the doctor's office once I'd hung up my phone. My Mom could tell something terrible had happened by just looking at my face. When I told her the news her face went completely white. Thankfully she was at the doctor's when she first heard, and that gave me a little measure of relief. Like many people, my head swam with bits and pieces of concerns as I tried to make some sense of what was happening. Were there more terrorist acts to follow? Would nuclear weapons be implimented? Was my family in Washington D.C. safe? Could anyone survive the horrible carnage of what used to be the World Trade Center? Once my Mom was taken in to see the doctor, I went out to the car and turned on the radio. (chain smoking one cigarette after another) The events were still unfolding, and the horror was just begining to take effect, when my Mom came out of the office. My sister and her husband both work in Washington D.C. Her husband works very close to the Pentagon. On the way home it was decided that we would drive to my niece's place of work to see if she had heard from her parents. She hadn't heard anything when we got there, but she was able to tell us that my sister (who flies often from Dules airport to L.A.) was home this week, and not flying anyplace. When we arrived home the answering machine was full of messages. My brother in Pa. had called wanting to know if we were ok, and any info we might have about my sister. Not long after I had hung up the phone, my sister called to say they were both ok, and at home. The next worry was my niece's husband's family. My nephew-in-law's father works at the Pentagon. By dinner last night my niece called to say Andrew's parents were both safe. Now I was able to turn my full attention to the poor people lost in the rubble of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and to the people who died on the 4 planes that were hijacked yesterday. As the events of the day yesterday to continue to unfold today, I am still numb by what has happened. I am enraged by what has happened. And I am also secure in the knowledge that whoever did this, will pay dearly! I will never forget the terror, the distaster, or the carnage that happened on September 11, 2001. Knowing that the former terrorists lived and operated very near my home unnerves me even more. To think I might have seen one of these people and not known what was coming next. Or to see them fly out of an airport behind my home and not know it could have been them flying. How many nights have I awoken in pain, gone out on my back porch at 2 or 3am and seen a plane preparing to take off, or land at the airport behind my home? How many times have I wondered, "who in the world would be flying a plane at this time of night (early morning actually). Today I babysat my "great niece". We had gone to the mall shopping. Somewhere in the middle of the mall she started talking about, "the bad men that killed all of those people." She is 4 years old, and already she's dealing with death, "bad men", and the word terrorist. I know how uneasy and scared I've been feeling, and I'm an adult. I'm supposed to be able to handle things like this. What must this 4 year old be thinking? And how sad to think that at 4 years old her legacy as a child will be the words "terrorist", "bad men who kill", and seeing people jumping out of windows, rather than face the prospect of burning to death in a raging fire. September 11, 2001 all of America lost its innocence. Our world has been forever changed. I fear we are just now beginning to see what the next years, and possibly even decades, will bring to our country, and our world. The "war" on terrorism will be a long, scary war. One thing I do know, Americans will band together as never before. We will not stop until all people in the world are safe from the terrible threat of terrorism. The cowards who tried to scare and undermine the American public doesn't know the American public. We are a strange lot. I think of it as a family. We may fight and squabble amongst ourselves, but let one person do something bad to our "family" and we unite and fight to the bitter end. I have always been patriotic. I often fly my American flag. I have a small American flag on my radio antenna on my car. Several of my shirts have the American flag, or are red, white, and blue. Since September 11th I have added 4 more American flags to my car antenna. I have worn my patriotic outfits whenever I go out into public. I've been happy to see other people dressed the same as me, and other cars proudly displaying our flag. I hope this is something that lasts, and not just something that will fade away. The next few years are going to be tough years. We will need all the strength, resolve, and patience we can muster to make this world a better place. Together Americans can move mountains. Let us move the mountains of terrorism, and forever provide a world where 4 year old children will never have to see such hatred and evil as they have this week. Wednesday night I went to my home away from home (Wal-Mart) for a few items. When I walked in the door I saw a box, and a sign asking for donations to help the victoms of September 11th. I immediately opened my purse and started serching for money to give. Being the end of the month, all I had left was a ten dollar bill. I felt guilty that was I had to give, but I gave it none the less. My Mom looked at me and said, "that's all you have, why not wait till payday (1st of the month), to give." I said I could live without ten dollars if it would help someone else. I wish there was more that I could do, more that I could give, more that I could say, to help the victoms of this terrible violence....but there isn't. All any of us can do at this moment is to give what we can, however we can, and know that we are helping in our way. Now is the time for all of us, black, white, asian, hispanic, to join together. Not as different groups and people of different colors and religions, but as Americans. To stand up, be proud to be an American, and be united in the war to come. May God bless you and keep you all. There are still many cars displaying the American flag. Which in itself speaks volumes. Since there isn't a flag, or an American flag pin to be found right now. Sadly our flag is made in China, and the Chinese are working over time to produce flags for America. I find this sad because there isn't a company in this country that makes our own flag. We've pretty much ceased to be a manufacturing country. My hope is that America will continue to stand together, to be proud of who we are, and to continue to fight terrorism in every form. This can only be done if we continue to be united as a country. Don't let those poor vistoms of Sept. 11th die for nothing. I whipped out my trusty cell phone and dialed AAA once again. Another half hour later the service man returned, and jumped my battery once again. Then he said to me, "are you going to get a new battery?" I said, "yes, that's what I was attempting to do when the battery died again." He told me he'd follow me for a few blocks to make sure I was on my way ok. He'd also recommended I try K-Mart, since he knew they installed batteries. I made it to K-Mart ok, but the service area was closed. The time is now 6:30pm, Sunday evening. I tried calling my brother, but they were out for the night. So I called my nephew and asked him to look up a place in the phone book where I could get a battery. He said he'd look around and call me right back. In the meantime I didn't dare park the car for fear it would die again, so we spent the next ten minutes cruising the K-Mart parking lot. Finally my niece called back with the name of the Discount Auto Parts store. I asked her when it closed and she said at seven pm. I thanked her and hung up. Then I asked my Mom what time it was. She says it's 6:45pm. I had exactly 15 minutes to make it 10-12 miles. I pulled into the parking lot of the discount parts store with a minute to spare. Unfortunately they didn't install batteries. So now it's after 7pm, and we're both starving, with no other options left at this time of night. I said why didn't we go through the drive-thru at Steak & Shake for dinner, and my Mom agreed that would be good. All went well till I put the car in park, to eat. Sure enough, the battery died again. Here we are, in an empty parking lot at 7:30pm on a sunday evening. I tried calling my brother again, but he still wasn't home. My next options were to call AAA once again, and risk getting hell from the service guy, or call my nephew to come jump me. I opted for calling my nephew, since he was only a few blocks away. Andrew drives up and I'm thinking how lucky he was home and able to come help. We get the cars hooked up and wait a few minutes. Then he says to try to start the car......nothing. This goes on 4 more times, each time with the same result....zilch! Now in total desperation I end up calling AAA for the 3rd time in 2 hours. Forty five minutes later the service man shows up. Thankfully he wasn't the one I'd seen the other 2 times. Once he got me jumped I was finally on my way home. It wasn't until I got home that I got a hold of my brother. He apologized for having his cell phone off, but volunteered to install a battery for me tomorrow after work. All I can say is that without my trusty cell phone, and my AAA, I'd be lost! | |||||||||
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