Nineteen Years Ago

 

We all remember where we were. For me it was the first day of school and we were in an assembly where our brand new headmaster was speaking and welcoming everybody to the start of the school year. When we adjourned and I went to my office I noticed that the yellow message light was blinking on my phone. The message was from my daughter-in-law who said that I wasn't to worry that she was OK. Was I supposed to be worried? Of course, I would have been if I had known what had just happened. She was working at that time just a couple of blocks from the towers. Within a minute or so the mumbling in the hall became loud and there were shouts of turn on the radio. Which of course I did. I didn’t have a first period class and I can’t remember when we decided to dismiss classes. I was so grateful to see my son and daughter in law that evening when they showed up at my door. They were some of the last to cross the bridge before they shut it down.

I was trying to explain to my granddaughter today how it felt. For at least a week or so it was as if nothing could go on. It was if we were frozen. It was impossible to carry on with anything frivolous. I still have the “New Yorker” with the black cover.

In some ways we were so innocent. So much has happened since then. I fear so for November.

This is the Town Hall. It looks even worse on the other side where there are boarded up and broken windows. I can't easily take pictures of the other side because there are no sidewalks. I know that they don't like to pay taxes around here but ..... really? A coat of paint and a few minimal repairs would help. This is an historic district and the building is being used. I am guessing that they are just going to let it continue to crumble and then start operating out of a strip mall near the highway or something.

A Police State?

I am still trying to process what happened this morning. On my way to take my granddaughter to school we noticed an excessive group of flashing police cars lighting up the highway.  I told my granddaughter that it must have been an accident in the intersection. She said "So many, it will probably be on the news". I doubted it because in this little town it would take something very bizarre to be newsworthy. On the way back, it became clear what it was which was indeed bizarre although will probably not hit the local news. It was a police parade at 7:45 AM on a Thursday morning on the most heavily trafficked artery in our town. It was led by several flashing vehicles followed by some running tee shirted men carrying a black and white version of the American flag with a large blue swatch across it and followed my more flashing police cars. Clearly the entire department was out for this strange show of force. And we are in a “blue” state, a red area yes, but a blue state. What is going on in red states? Also I wonder what color in a flag teachers should have?