I was at the World Series in Atlanta. I had signed a coupon with my paycheck from Fleet Investment and sent it back not expecting to win the contest. Something like 5,000 entries, and, voila they picked mine. Free first class airfare, hotel, limo, spending money and great seats to every game of the World Series. What could be better? Yankees versus the Braves and I had tickets for every game.
I arrived in Hot-lanta like a caricature from My Cousin Vinny a typical New Yorker in a strange land. I dressed summery but that first night was cold at Turner Field. The stadium was nice, clean and organized. The fans were quiet and civilized. I dont like life that way.
Along with my wife I found my seat. The opening ceremony was magical. Stirring patriotic themes, music, the Nation anthem and then a rumble filled the arena. Off in the distance you could hear a sound. What am I saying? You could feel a sound. The whole section shook like an earthquake was hitting. People turned to each other in a silent question wondering what was happening. Then it all became clear. Four planes were teaming overhead. Four Stealth, deep black airplanes were flying in formation.
As they buzzed the stadium with a majestic horror right over my head, I let out a tear.
The Yankees won that night. If I remember right they swept the Series. Though I love the Yankees and I love baseball, I didnt tune in any of the rest of that Championship. In fact, I gave away my tickets for the rest of the games.
That one night I had seen it all. I came to Atlanta to be amazed and though I know it sounds hokey I was amazed. I was so proud to be an American at that moment that I didnt want to spoil the memory. So I packed up the next day and came back to New York. That flyover did it for me. I loved my country, I loved life and I didnt want to ruin the memory.
I felt that way two other times in my life. One, was when we captured Kuwait. We fought hard, spent a lot, put American lives on the line, won a victory in hours and then handed the keys back to Emir who said only a country as great as yours would fight like this and not keep the land.
The second time was on 9-11 when I had to be at a wedding in New York City, after that tragedy, I drove from my home in Connecticut to the city, I felt a surreal sensation, there was no one on the roads, but, at every overpass, sign, marker and median there were flags, banners and hand made signs that silently showed we were all one at that moment in time.
Sometimes I want to smack this America in the head and tell it to get its act together but I also know how much I love this country, its people and its promise. I hope for my children and yours that this will always be a great nation.
Think about it, when most of us would run down the stairs we created people that ran up them to save souls.
As we think about September 11th, that’s worth remembering.
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