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2001: A Broader View of Christmas
Posted January 23, 2017
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From
Patrick and Danette:
I
was doing some last minute stretching. I was just about ready for work, but
I was running late because my morning run took longer than normal. While on
the floor stretching, I thought why not listen to the radio for a few
minutes. It seemed something like fate that at that very moment, the local
station was reporting some sort of airplane crash in New York City. As New
York has grown to be our adopted hometown, I rushed to get the TV on to see
what had happened. The timing was swift enough that I was able to view the
second plane crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
For
those of you that don’t know me well enough, I’m a big city freak. I love
big cities. And big buildings characterize big cities. And those two towers
were just about the biggest anyone has ever seen. The attacks seem to take
on a greater interest for me because of this love affair. A few years back,
Danette and I were visiting New York for the first time. Among the many
sites we went to, we had the good fortune to take the tour of the
observation deck of the World Trade Center. This observation deck is unique
in that it had both the usual enclosed floor near the top for visitors, as
well as the opportunity to walk around the roof. It is quite safe, as they
keep you on a metal grid sidewalk some distance from the edge, but close
enough to get simply incredible views of the city. Also on the trip we saw
an outdated poser from the New York City Marathon. I knew then I had to run
the race and proceed to train. It took me a few years to get entered, but I
finally was ready in 1999, and when we sat down to make travel arrangements,
I knew we had to stay at the downtown Marriott. See, the downtown Marriott
sat at the base of the “Twin Towers”, right smack dab in the middle. The
hotel was incorporated into the immense shopping center that made up the
bottom floors, as well as the massive influx of subway and regional trains
and their riders through the floors below. Among all the things I have seen
in the world, one of the most impressive and memorable is that of the
thousands and thousands of people streaming up a bank of escalators from the
train platforms below as they arrive to work in the towers 110 floors above.
It
was those people that I continued to think about as the most bizarre event
in our history occurred. No one really knew for sure what would happen to
those towers when the two jets crashed into them. No one ever thought they
could collapse completely, so swiftly, and so quickly after being struck.
After they fell, I sat quietly, thinking about the day before the race back
in 1999. I had made the trip to New York just as I was coming down with a
cold. It continued to get worse so I decided to spend the day in the hotel
room while Danette went about sightseeing without me. No good movies to
watch, or in the mood to do much else, so I spent hours by the window
watching the city, and in particular, gazing into the windows fo the office
floors that I could see into. Our room was on the 17th floor and
I had a great view of at least 3 or 4 floors of the twin towers. I must have
seen hundreds of people working. It was Saturday, but you wouldn’t have
known it by watching inside these offices. Less than two years later, I
wondered if those people still worked there; what happened to them. If not
them, surely someone was working instead of them. Then there were all the
people coming up from the trains below. All of those people coming up from
the trains, just as high above them airplanes were crashing into their
offices.
The
hotel, as well as the towers, obviously, are now gone. But I don’t see how I
can ever forget these images, nor do I know when or why these images should
ever fade. These events seemed to turn 2001 into two unequal halves. The
first half of the year had much more meaning to pursue changes in life.
It
was an otherwise great year for us. We continued to remain happily married,
healthy, good looking (uh, well, one of us anyway), and gainfully employed
(uh, well, one of us anyway).
As
for myself, I made a new year’s resolution to get rid of as many vices as
possible. I was successful in many areas: I have completely given up
off-track betting, and I no longer spend Thursday night at the tracks
(although I do find myself betting on football games). I can’t tell you how
much I’ve lost on the Lions this year (I swear I thought this was their
year).
Ok,
seriousness aside, here’s a joke:
What
do Billy Graham and the Detroit Lions have in common? Both have the ability
to get 60,000 people in the Silverdome to stand up and yell “Jesus Christ!”.
Irrelevant, maybe, but 100% true…my oh my.
How
do you keep the Detroit Lions out of your backyard? Put up field goal posts.
How
do the Detroit Lions count to 10? 0-1, 0-2, 0-3, 0-4 … 0-10!
Actually, my life continues to revolve around running. Psychologically, I am
sure I am running from something. Honestly, I am afraid to see a
psychologist because I know I will contract whatever she suggests. I am a
lemming. The big change in my life this year was to begin running in the
mornings instead of evenings. I, like everyone else in this crazy complex
world seem to have no time by running in the morning and thereby eliminating
one shower (yes, Mom, I shower everyday – clean underwear and all). It is
hard, especially when getting up at 0600 every morning during the summer
turns into what looks like Antarctica during in the winter. It is dark,
cold, and ice or frost everywhere. You find yourself asking “What am I doing
out here? Surely I AM crazy!”
Danette has continued volunteering her time with
the Legacy of a Kid Brother of St. Frank (http://www.kidbrothers.org).
If you are not familiar, Rich Mullins (the “kid brother” best known for the
song “Awesome God”) was killed in an auto accident in 1997, and several of
his close friends decided to form a ministry that they felt continued the
kind of work he had done with Native American youth. Along with spiritual
retreats, often following closely the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi
(ergo “St. Frank”) they conducted Art & Music camps on reservations for
Native American youth. This year, Danette was unofficially earned the role
of “assistant to the director” for the camps as she is the most experienced
volunteer, is highly organized, and gets along well with the camps director.
Her activities this year have led her to New Mexico (Navajo and then Zuni
reservations) and Alaska (Inupiaq). She also volunteers for the retreats put
on by “The Legacy”, and has found herself being asked to be a small group
leader from time to time. For those of you that know Danette, you know just
how much that is asking of her. But she did it; she was good; and I’m proud
of her for that.
Along with these camps, Danette and I headed to Wichita to kick off a week
of vacation in August. Now, you say “Wichita?” (and you have to say it with
the right side of your face sort of scrunched up, as if the muscles there
are equally confused by anyone vacationing in Wichita). Despite what you and
your face think, eastern Kansas, I believe is quite beautiful, as the flint
Hills offer a unique blend of farmland, grassland, and rugged hills and
valleys. The three hours from Kansas City to Wichita were quite enjoyable
and scenic. We were headed for the annual “LegacyFest”, which is the annual
fundraiser for the above-mentioned Kid Brothers organization. It is a
two-day affair of music and classes on a wide variety of art forms. While
Danette took a class on photography, I took a session on the hammered
dulcimer. The second day, both Danette and I took a pottery class. What a
mess we made. Here are the pictures of what we made:
|
Nuclear Meltdown |
Ashtray |
I
have titled mine “Nuclear Meltdown” as that is what I set out to make (Ha!),
and Danette titles her work “ash tray” (I wasn’t able to kick my pack a day
cigarette habit). She set out to make a bowl, vase, pot, whatever – it
really doesn’t matter what we set out to make. We really just wanted to the
piece of clay to stay centered and upright. Clearly I failed. Danette did
have somewhat better success after taking several attempts.
Since Danette’s parents have spent the entire year in Manhattan assigned to
a job for the U.S. Post Office (what a year to work at the NYC post office),
we took the Memorial Day weekend to visit them in New York City (you see,
with Danette’s travels, she has taken advantage of what used to crowded
airlines, and received a ridiculous amount of coupons for free travel simply
for giving up her seat and taking the next flight). These coupons have not
only funded her travel, and our trips to NYC, we still have a lot of travel
left! Forget frequent flyer miles…take a bump!
Despite spending the year relatively injury free, I was never able to train
consistently enough to run the race in NYC again this year. However, we took
advantage of yet more free air travel to once again return to NYC for the
race weekend. This time it was different. We needed to go back and see what
they did to our adopted hometown. Even though you can see and hear about it
on TV, we needed to see for ourselves. Both in May and this time in November
in NYC we had a great time. It is fun to visit such a city and have people
like Dan and Marilyn there to have as company, and even show you a thing or
two we didn’t know.
Good
fortune was on our side, as just the day before we were set to leave, we
received a call from the people at the Ed Sullivan Theatre that there were
spots for the David Letterman show. We were on the show November 5th
and we even got the camera on us several times, but much too quickly for
anyone to see unless you knew where we were seated. The entire three hour
visit to the show was non-stop laughter as the staff’s main job is just to
goose you up to laugh and clap…and laugh and clap. I strongly recommend you
try to get in if you can make it to New York City. However, it was somewhat
indicative of the times, I believe, that we even got the invitation since we
suspect several people that had planned on attending probably had cancelled
their travels to New York due to the attacks and the (Anthrax). Alas.
And…the biggest news of all …we got cable internet…oh my goodness…RUN… don’t
walk to the nearest cable company. I have a growing believe that high speed
cable internet is indeed a little bit of heaven on here on earth (along with
orange juice and the NFL).
Well
my friends, my family, my brutha’s and sista’s, we hope this letter arrives
intact, and succeeds in delivering just as much love as we originally sent
with it. We hope that everyone is able to look beyond the presents, the
tree, the food, and commercialism to see what gave birth to Christmas: the
choice of God to send a child to Mary to be His only Son, who would live,
and dire for us, so that we may live. And it is with that Gift of God that
we must all live, as life itself is a gift. That has as much meaning this
year to me, as it ever has, and if I have learned anything positive from
September 11, it is to “stay awake and live” as we cannot depend on
tomorrow.
Peace and love to all. Both in giving, and in receiving, Marry Christmas,
and to all a Blessed and Happy New Year.