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**Note - Today's narrative from the Bullpen is a rewritten version of one printed in the second week of September 11, 2011, ten years after the tragic occurrences which happened on September 11, 2001, twenty-five years ago yesterday.
The title words above were penned by Country singer Alan Jackson soon after the September 11, 2001 tragedies at the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Arlington, VA, and in that field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
I'm sure most of us remember exactly where we were when the horrific events of 9-11 occurred. I was at Camp Timbercrest, in Randolph, with my class on our three-day Outdoor Education Experience, and didn't even know what was happening, as we had no television or newspaper. We left for camp early that morning, before the events happened. It wasn't until September 12th, when a parent who volunteered to come to camp and help us arrived and told us of the terrible acts of terrorism waged against our country the day before. We, then, found a radio, listened to (and discussed, which was one of the most solemn and impactful discussions in all my years of teaching) the news coverage, but still never saw the nightmarish replays of the attacks until we returned home on the 13th.
The tragedies which claimed the lives of nearly 3000 people that day brought us, as a country, back to the reality that not everyone in the world likes the USA. Some hate us, and some will do anything they can, even taking their own lives, to destroy us as a country. Little did, and do, they know that the American Spirit can't be broken and that those who perished in the events of that day made our country even stronger than it was before those tragic attacks.
Today, on the tenth (yesterday the 25th) anniversary of that sad day, we must (continue to} honor those killed, those injured physically and mentally, and those who served in the aftermath. We must remind our children (those young when it happened, and those not born before that day) that there will always be those envious of our country, our freedoms, and our spirit, and though our country has things to work on, we still live in the greatest country in the world.
One of the best ways to honor those who have died in any tragedy or conflict, is to remember, and never forget, the life sacrifices made in the name of freedom. One of the best ways to remember and honor the victims of 9-11 is to recall and echo the words of Alan Jackson, share them with our children, and pray that those who perished did not die in vain, that their deaths, indeed, made America a stronger and better nation.
The words of Alan Jackson's song asked listeners where they were on that fateful day in 2001. He asked if they were in the yard with family or working on some stage in California. He asked if they stood in shock watching the black smoke block the beautiful blue sky. He asked if they screamed in anger, feared for their neighbor, or just sat and cried over the tragedy.
He asked if they cried for children who lost family, or if they prayed for the kids who didn't know. He asked if they rejoiced for those who walked away from the crumbled buildings, and if they cried for those who were still buried below.
He asked if people were filled with pride for the flag which flew atop the wreckage, and the heroes who were doing their job, but were heroes just the same. He asked if people just looked to the heavens asking why, and if they looked at themselves in the mirror contemplating what's really important.
He said he was just a simple man, not a politician. He watches CNN, and can't tell the difference between Iraq and Iran, but he knows Jesus and God and learned at a young age that Faith, Hope, and Love are gifts Jesus gave us, the greatest being Love.
He went on to ask, again, where people were on that tragic day. He asked if they were teaching a class or driving down the interstate. He asked if they felt guilty for surviving, or if they felt alone in a crowded room. He asked if they called up their mother to tell her they loved her, or just dusted off their home Bible. He asked if people hoped it was all just a nightmare, or if they were afraid to close their eyes to sleep. He asked if they noticed a sunset for the first time in a long time, or if they just stopped and talked to strangers on the street.
He asked if people laid down at night and thought of tomorrow, if they went out and bought a gun, or if they turned off a violent movie on TV and turned on I Love Lucy reruns. He asked if they went to a church and held hands with strangers or if they stood in line and donated blood. He concluded by asking if they just stayed home and hugged their family thanking God for what they had before he repeated the comments about Faith, Hope, and Love, and finished by asking, once again, where we all were on that September day.
We remember the sights, sounds, sadness, anger, fear, pride, the closeness of strangers, and we remember to honor and thank those who fell that day. Our country became better because of all of them and those who responded to this tragic event. God Bless them all and God Bless the USA.
The first half of Jackson's lyrics: (You can find the entire song on YouTube. It should be listened to on the 9-11 Remembrance Day every year.)
"Where were you when the world stopped turnin’
That September day?
Were you in the yard with your wife and children
Or workin’ on some stage in L.A.?
Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke
Risin’ against that blue sky?
Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry?
Did you weep for the children, they lost their dear loved ones
Pray for the ones who don’t know?
Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble
And sob for the ones left below?
Did you burst out with pride for the red, white, and blue
And the heroes who died just doin’ what they do?
Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer
And look at yourself and what really matters?
I’m just a singer of simple songs
I’m not a real political man
I watch CNN, but I’m not sure I can tell you
The diff’rence in Iraq and Iran
But I know Jesus and I talk to God
And I remember this from when I was young
Faith, hope, and love are some good things He gave us
And the greatest is love."