9:02 -- That's the exact time of the 10th anniversary of the bombing, and the time I will close my door and probably have a good cry.
It's also posted over the entrance to the OKC memorial; a giant gateway though which everyone passes to enter the park.
Inside, there is a still pool, that even in this windy city is never ruffled. 168 copper colored chairs -- 19 of them small -- glow against the green grass. And off to the side is the Survivor Tree, an elm which was blackened and broken 10 years ago but has grown and thrived year after year.
At the end of the park is another huge gate, and this one is labeled "9:03".
It was almost impossible to get to work this morning; Clinton and Cheney are in town and most of the main roads have been blocked off so their motorcades can get through safely. And I guess they couldn't tell the good citizens of Oklahoma City because that might have put them at risk.
The ceremony at the Memorial this morning is "by invitation only"; but the hearts and thoughts of many here are downtown anyway.
Vague ramblings by me, behavioral med/research nurse extraordinaire, widely-collected artist (OK, so I've only sold 4 paintings) and ebay queen. Delve into the life of a not-so-average, overweight, over-the-hill single mom...such crazy excitement (yeah, right)!
About Me
- Jodie
- My mom says, "Jodie, I never know what you'll do next!". I guess I'm a pretty traditional person in a lot of ways but I sure seem to have a more twisty life path than most people.
5 comments:
Amen.
Thanks Gone. Probably the most bittersweet memory I have of that day are the homeless men sitting along the curb comforting and holding the bleeding children (cut by flying glass) from the YMCA daycare across the street until the parents came to get them. Maybe those guys had never felt needed or useful in their lives, but that day they were heroes to those kids and their parents.
They say that when McVeigh was put to death, he just stared defiantly at the family members of victims who were allowed to attend to watch the execution.. he stared at them intensly with no remorse until his eyes glazed over and he died, like he was some kind of soldier/martyr.. SICK BASTARD
Dave, I think he was a truly evil guy.
Jodie,
My heart is with you. I was in TX at the time of the bombing and we were all reeling. I still can't believe such a thing happened to so many innocent people. For years afterward as a state employee we beefed up security but I still got nervous when I worked at our capitol building.
I can understand hating to pay taxes but I don't understand the concept of "hating government." Ours is far from perfect but you haven't seen bad government till you've been to developing countries. Or even Italy for that matter!
ThirdDegreeNurse
Post a Comment