Five years ago, on the morning of 9/11, I was sitting in a church in Calgary, Alberta. We had heard about the first plane crash on our way to the church, and heard about the second one during a seminar I was attending. We recognized that this was an attack, and we stopped everything and spent the morning in prayer, singing some songs and pouring out our hearts for the families, imploring God to protect those trapped and those children whose parents might not be coming home that night. Of all the places to be that morning, I can think of no better place to be for someone who couldn't personally dig in and get his hands dirty to be.
My wife would disagree. She was at work back here in Minneapolis when everything happened, and she wanted me home NOW.
The wife and I had gone up to Calgary for a church seminar and decided to take some extra time for a vacation in
Banff, kind of a late honeymoon. Banff and Lake Louise happens to be some of the most beautiful places on the planet. The room hotel we stayed at in Banff was right on main street, and when you walked out the front door you saw mountains in both directions.
Anyway, we had a week in Banff and then we went back to Calgary to the seminar. Sweeter Half Couldn't stay for the whole thing. She had to get back to work and flew out the Sunday before. I stuck around for the whole thing, and was scheduled to fly out the 12th. Needless to say, I didn't take that flight.
As I said, my flight was canceled. During one of the breaks we took that morning, I called my hotel and extended my stay by a week, which was a smart move on my part because with all airline traffic stopped, rooms filled up quick. In fact, the airport filled up quick. All flights were stopped, and everyone got off the planes. I went down to the airport to talk to someone about my tickets only to find what I can best describe as a refugee camp. People standing there with their luggage, having no clue what to do or what was going to happen. Guards walking around with automatic weapons. It didn't look like the 'free world' any more.
My wife was frantic, begging me to find some way home, but there wasn't any. Besides, compared to the plight of the people in New York, we had it good.
During the next few days, the churches in Calgary brought thousands of sandwiches and bottled water to the airport for those stranded. The Canadian Country Music Awards where in town that week, and they sent bus after bus to the airport to bring people to a free concert they put on.
On the 14th, I was back down at the airport hoping to rent a car, but they couldn't send cars across the border. While I was talking to the gal at the Hertz counter, some guy came up to turn in his car. It turned out that he had rented it in California, drove it across the border, and handed it off with a 'it's your problem now'.
Well, this was a violation of some sort of law, and they needed to get the car back to that States right away, so they gave me the keys, charged me $20.00 a day, unlimited millage, anywhere in the United States, for 7 days. Just get it back.
I was in the right place at the right time. I picked up the car at 11:00 AM, and was checked out of my room and on the road by noon.
I drove south. I just wanted to get back into the States, then I'd worry about getting home. I took me 5 hours to get across the border, but after that, it was clear sailing.
I returned home to a very relieved wife that Friday night.
My politics before 9/11 where primarily impacted by my faith, but the attacks changed my world view in two ways: I recognized that there are organizations out there that want to destroy the American Way, and some of them are here in the U.S.
I was listening to the radio as I was driving across Montana and came across a NPR host trashing Bush for the attacks, and it pissed me off. I'm still pissed, and that is why I am so snarky towards liberals and commies. These people are just as dangerous to us as a bunch of religious fanatics over in the middle east.
I love this country. I'm privileged to live in a place and time such as this, and I also recognize that I have a responsibility. I served in the military when I was younger, but didn't really realize what that service meant until 9/11 and the events that followed. Today, when I see someone in uniform or meet someone who has served over in Afghanistan or Iraq, I tear up.
Some people thinks it's a sin that we have the freedom and prosperity we have in the United States. I think that they fail to see the blessing we have received. Was it a sin that the Israelites entered into the land of milk and honey? I think not. It was God's plan. Yes, we have a responsibility to care for the poor, sick, and needy. Yes, some times we drop the ball. But prosperity isn't the sin, it's what we do with it.
Anyway, that's it for now.
God Bless America.
