c. 2006 Rod Ice
All rights reserved
(9-06)
The fifth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 caused many Americans to pause in reflection. For us, no greater benchmark exists in modern memory. Our generation was literally redefined by this woeful event. Yet sixty months forward, conclusions vary about the tragedy. Images of ‘Ground Zero’ are colored in differing hues painted with individual perceptions. It seems that nearly everyone has a NINE-ELEVEN viewpoint of their own.
ABC chose to commemorate this dark anniversary with a two-episode series, directed by David L. Cunningham. ‘THE PATH TO 9/11’ offered a graphic analysis of the happening, with some dramatic embellishment. Its roster of performers was undeniably impressive. Included were Harvey Keitel, Stephen Root, Donnie Wahlberg, Barclay Hope, Patricia Heaton, Shaun Toub, Amy Madigan, Shirley Douglas, and Penny Johnson Jerald. Reactions to the program mirrored public sentiments over the actual event. Again, perceptions were skewed by philosophical leanings.
President Bush appeared surreal with a national address during the second night of this broadcast. Viewers on the network must have blinked more than once with puzzlement. “Was this an official message, or part of the show?” Predictably, his speech drew immediate criticism from political opponents.
For this writer, considering the calamity produced a moment of personal introspection. It had me struggling to remember… “What did I write… as a wordsmith… as a citizen… on that day, five years ago?” A search through our household archives yielded the column, on an old 1.44 MB diskette. As I opened the document, a lost world began to appear:
LIFE DURING WARTIME
(From The Geauga County Maple Leaf, September 20, 2001)
Everyone has their own perspective on historic events. Indeed, each of us might offer a unique view when considering the same timeline. Where were you… when news of JFK’s assassination was announced? When the hostages were seized in Iran? When Ronald Reagan was shot? The answers will reflect a variety of circumstances that color these happenings. America is a nation brimming with diversity. Different translations of identical facts add to the mix of daily life. Compare the following recollection with your own for evidence of such things:
For this writer, September 11th, 2001 awakened without special concern. Because of my work schedule, the morning began about half-past noon. With groggy remnants of sleep still in my eyes, I prepared coffee and toast. Vague thoughts of our computer made me frown. (A problem with the telephone line had kept us out of commission for an entire week!) In the Ice household, Tuesday had only begun. I stumbled down the basement steps, while taking inventory of personal duties. My checkbook had to be balanced, and an unsent e-mail for Keith R. Ball waited because of the technical woes.
(I was in the midst of assembling a feature for his motorcycling website.) In addition, much yard work was waiting. None of this was more important than the immediate need to saturate my bloodstream with liquid caffeine!
I had been underground for only a minute when my wife called from upstairs, with disbelief clear in her voice. “Rod! There’s a message on the phone…” Her son had called from work that morning. “We’re under attack… turn on the television right now!!”
I literally ran for the living room. “Attack? From who??”
A strong mug of java couldn’t prepare me for the video feed from ABC news. My spouse was equally shocked. We sat motionless for a long time. Scenes of destruction and tragedy filled the screen. My eyes were burning. I could not escape feeling that it was a second coming of the attack that predicated our entry into World War II. Thoughts of the movie ‘Independence Day’ were unavoidable. Also echoing were the notes of ‘Life During Wartime,’ from the Talking Heads album ‘Fear Of Music.’ There, David Byrne sang “This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco, this ain’t no foolin’ around…” It was an eerie moment.
When composure returned, I wrote an electronic message to one of our friends who lives in New York City. A drummer by trade, he has enjoyed a career of session work with musicians in the area. My hands trembled as I wondered if he would be able to reply. A day later, his response said much about the uncertain mood that prevailed. “Thanks for your concern… my area is VERY quiet. It’s as though I’m much more than a mile-and-a-half away… as of yesterday, everything will be different.” Instead of signing the message with a regular salutation, he wrote the word ‘uneasily’ before his name. I was glad to know that he was safe, and well.
The following period of reflection produced a Geauga slant on this woeful occurrence. We shared thoughts of grief and sorrow with our friends across the county. Some were mystified by the evil acts that had transpired. Others saw the calamity as a visitation of dark forces. But all agreed that we had passed a milestone of great importance. There was no longer the luxury of ignorance to shield us from duty. A response of some sort had become inevitable. We were in a new age of uncertainty. The current battle was alive on domestic soil, not the loam of a distant republic. Thoughts of a tidy, sanitized conflict were gone with yesterday! In TIME Magazine, Lance Morrow offered a chilling perspective. “What’s needed is a unified, unifying, Pearl Harbor sort of purple American fury – a ruthless indignation that doesn’t leak away in a week or two.” It was as if the spirit of Roosevelt and Churchill had been aroused. (Modern parallels do not exist here.) Our way of life had been challenged by foreign enemies. No course remained except for a path directly to the heart of these angry foes!
A prayer for guidance echoed through our churches as the sunset fell upon September 12th. Ironically, this was my 40th birthday. I spent the night considering my entry into the world at Riverside Methodist Hospital, in Columbus. Mixed with such personal images were the graphic depictions of rubble from what had been the World Trade Center towers. I could not avoid comparing the progressive, post-war ebullience of my parents’ generation to modern conditions. It was a contrast of worlds. But a similar belief made both yesterday and today possible. And that steadfast devotion seemed likely to carry us toward the future. So the sight of horror in New York could not diminish our trust in national values. We remained sure of faith, family and friends at the close of Wednesday evening. These are treasures that will never disappear. In the end, such wonderful gifts transcend anything that reckless souls can manufacture.
* * *
After reading the column, I remembered being on duty at my Chardon food retailer during the remainder of 9-11. Supervising the store was a strange experience. Those who continued to shop were in a daze. Nearly everything else closed as America considered its fate. Rumors of gasoline at five dollars per gallon circulated wildly. But the day went onward for us… with humble prayers about what tomorrow might bring.
There is no dispute that after the terrorist strikes in 2001, everything changed for our society. The attacks in New York and Washington, D. C. were horrifyingly brazen. They also incorporated an ingenious level of simplicity. Still, their yield was determination, rather than fear. Instead of causing us to tremble, they hardened our resolve. Even the vigorous debate over post-strike habits demonstrated the strength of American democracy. Resolved was this: “We are a nation given to vociferous disagreement, with common loyalty embraced in equal measure!”
Liberals, Conservatives, and those on the disaffected political fringe may hold contrasting opinions about that yonder day in September. Yet everyone can agree that ‘THE PATH TO 9/11’ is not one we are likely to choose, again.
FROM THE GEAUGA COUNTY MAPLE LEAF - CHARDON, OHIO
