Nineteen years ago and it seems like yesterday. I remember all too well getting a phone call from my wife telling me of what had happened. I had to wait until lunch time to come home and see the news. There was some talk around work but in 2001 there was no smart phones, no social media. No one was getting real time updates, pictures or live streaming anything. So, it was continue working as usual, as we didn't know the full impact. I'm quite certain the response in the workplace would be a great deal different today. I'm as equally certain the response would be quite a bit different as well. Hard to believe it has been nineteen years, and harder still to see the state our country is in, politically speaking that is.
I don't want to dwell on that this morning. I did go to dinner last night with my son and daughter in law. It was different for a couple of reasons. First off, it's the first time we have gone out since this plandemic disrupted our lives. We did get to eat inside, with social distancing from other diners of course. It did seem a bit strange and all the food was served on disposable products. But it was nice to get out. It was also the first time I can remember going out to dinner with my son and daughter in law without the grandkids being there. Mark is off to college and Morgan, now a senior in high school, had other plans. I joked with my son about getting used to this, now it will be just us old folks. I wondered if we shouldn't have tried to catch the "early bird" special for dinner.
The restaurant had the radio playing in the background, a little loud for all of us, and it was playing the current version of country music. I remarked to my son how I didn't really listen to the modern country and wondered about any new stars. Last I recall it was Zac Brown. I have no idea who is the popular band, guy, girl, or whatever combination they may have. Well I guess the best part is you don't have to ask, all these people will tell you their "affiliation" quickly enough. But, he listens to talk radio most of the time and had no idea either. When I told him I listened to the oldies station he remarked, those songs aren't that old, they are from the 1980's. My response to him was, 1980 was forty years ago! Yeah, you are getting old too. LOL, he did get a look on his face when I pointed that out and that his daughter will be 18 in eleven days. So, we changed the subject and started making plans for another get together, something for us old folks to do. We decided on taking a ferry ride across the Delaware bay. We can go as walk on passengers, a lot cheaper than taking the car, have lunch at the terminal in New Jersey, and then just ride back. It's an enjoyable few hours out on the bay without the expense of owning a boat.
I did wake up with all these thoughts in my mind. Nineteen years and so many changes. I did remember when my grandson told me his history class was harder than mine. He explained how much more history he had to learn than I did! Yeah well, I do remember when Kennedy was shot and to him that was a long time ago. It was, in fact, a different century! Think about that for a minute or two. My grandchildren were all born in the 21st century. Remember when you saw that logo, 20th Century Fox. Well, it's still called 20th Century Fox although the company that owns it is officially named 21st Century Fox. That happened back in 2013, but who knew? Disney owns the company now. And Fox means news, well depending on who you are talking to anyway.
There are 111 days between September 11 and December 31st. Those days will be filled with politics and holidays. And not necessarily in that order. There are eleven days until my granddaughters' birthday, as I mentioned, her 18th. Many of us are anxious for this year to be over, 2020 has certainly been memorable so far, for all the wrong reasons. You know they say hindsight is 2020. I'll be one of those happy when that is true. In watching the television program 2020 that doesn't appear to be what they are doing. Last time I watched their vision was certainly different than mine, at least as to the cause and effect of current events. Well, all things change over time. But 9/11/01 will remain with me as a focal point, a turning point in history, my Pearl harbor. I haven't forgotten, Those attacks will remain as a generational event, like a Pearl harbor. As the years go on the view will change with those that don't remember the event first hand. It has begun already if you listen carefully. Indeed look at who is being elected to office! In 1972, just 27 years after the surrender of the Japanese the Democratic party named Patsy Mink, a Japanese-American, for president of the United States! I recall many WW2 vets being quite upset by that! I was nineteen years old in 1972 and Pearl harbor did seem like a long time ago to me. But, talking with these veterans I quickly realized that, to them, it may as well been yesterday. And now, now I've lived long enough to understand that, unfortunately I do understand that sentiment. And in that I also understand the futility of history. You have to live it to understand it.
I don't want to dwell on that this morning. I did go to dinner last night with my son and daughter in law. It was different for a couple of reasons. First off, it's the first time we have gone out since this plandemic disrupted our lives. We did get to eat inside, with social distancing from other diners of course. It did seem a bit strange and all the food was served on disposable products. But it was nice to get out. It was also the first time I can remember going out to dinner with my son and daughter in law without the grandkids being there. Mark is off to college and Morgan, now a senior in high school, had other plans. I joked with my son about getting used to this, now it will be just us old folks. I wondered if we shouldn't have tried to catch the "early bird" special for dinner.
The restaurant had the radio playing in the background, a little loud for all of us, and it was playing the current version of country music. I remarked to my son how I didn't really listen to the modern country and wondered about any new stars. Last I recall it was Zac Brown. I have no idea who is the popular band, guy, girl, or whatever combination they may have. Well I guess the best part is you don't have to ask, all these people will tell you their "affiliation" quickly enough. But, he listens to talk radio most of the time and had no idea either. When I told him I listened to the oldies station he remarked, those songs aren't that old, they are from the 1980's. My response to him was, 1980 was forty years ago! Yeah, you are getting old too. LOL, he did get a look on his face when I pointed that out and that his daughter will be 18 in eleven days. So, we changed the subject and started making plans for another get together, something for us old folks to do. We decided on taking a ferry ride across the Delaware bay. We can go as walk on passengers, a lot cheaper than taking the car, have lunch at the terminal in New Jersey, and then just ride back. It's an enjoyable few hours out on the bay without the expense of owning a boat.
I did wake up with all these thoughts in my mind. Nineteen years and so many changes. I did remember when my grandson told me his history class was harder than mine. He explained how much more history he had to learn than I did! Yeah well, I do remember when Kennedy was shot and to him that was a long time ago. It was, in fact, a different century! Think about that for a minute or two. My grandchildren were all born in the 21st century. Remember when you saw that logo, 20th Century Fox. Well, it's still called 20th Century Fox although the company that owns it is officially named 21st Century Fox. That happened back in 2013, but who knew? Disney owns the company now. And Fox means news, well depending on who you are talking to anyway.
There are 111 days between September 11 and December 31st. Those days will be filled with politics and holidays. And not necessarily in that order. There are eleven days until my granddaughters' birthday, as I mentioned, her 18th. Many of us are anxious for this year to be over, 2020 has certainly been memorable so far, for all the wrong reasons. You know they say hindsight is 2020. I'll be one of those happy when that is true. In watching the television program 2020 that doesn't appear to be what they are doing. Last time I watched their vision was certainly different than mine, at least as to the cause and effect of current events. Well, all things change over time. But 9/11/01 will remain with me as a focal point, a turning point in history, my Pearl harbor. I haven't forgotten, Those attacks will remain as a generational event, like a Pearl harbor. As the years go on the view will change with those that don't remember the event first hand. It has begun already if you listen carefully. Indeed look at who is being elected to office! In 1972, just 27 years after the surrender of the Japanese the Democratic party named Patsy Mink, a Japanese-American, for president of the United States! I recall many WW2 vets being quite upset by that! I was nineteen years old in 1972 and Pearl harbor did seem like a long time ago to me. But, talking with these veterans I quickly realized that, to them, it may as well been yesterday. And now, now I've lived long enough to understand that, unfortunately I do understand that sentiment. And in that I also understand the futility of history. You have to live it to understand it.
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