Mikes Place

By Michael L. Craner

It’s hard to believe it’s been a year already. A year since 9/11 and the terrible attack on the innocent people on those airplanes, the Pentagon, and the World Trade Center. A full year later I am still struggling with the words to describe my emotions, and make sense of the evil that committed this atrocity.

Over this past year, I have worn a flag or ribbon every single day, and my vehicle bore a magnetic flag as well. I’m proud to be an American, I always have been, but I show my flags not just for love of country, but in honor and support of my government who I feel is doing their best in bad times.

I know how difficult it is to make the right decisions and lead people, many of whom resent the fact that someone else is making decisions for them. Yet they have no desire to contribute to the democratic process and use their voice where it will help and do good, but choose rather to stand on the sidelines and complain, trying to bring down those around them.

I’ve seen a lot of change this past year, a year and a half ago, at a parade, I would see the color guard march down the road, and found myself practically alone with my hat off and hand on heart. A few weeks ago at a race, nearly every person there rose, removed their hats, and quietly placed their hands on hearts while the National Anthem played.

We have gone through so much, so many emotions, and ideas how we can fight this war, and better still, prevent it from happening again. We are angry and hurt because we feel something was taken from us. As I sat thinking back how since 9/10/2001, I have never gotten up in the morning on the way to work and looked out at the sunrise and thought, “What a wonderful day, everything is as it should be.” I realized then how hard I was affected, and how personally I have taken the attack.

Then I realized, no matter who they are or how many, they can never take away who we are inside. I will never again allow anyone to take away my joy.

May God bless this rock we call Earth and ALL her inhabitants. May we learn peace and love for everyone and get over our petty differences. May we all wake up tomorrow and watch the sun rise over a brand new day and say, “What a wonderful day, everything is as it should be.”