The Flag

It's taken over 3 years but I've finally noticed my neighbors flag in their front yard. Nice tall flag pole, big beautiful flag complete with spotlight at night. That's what I really noticed, the spotlight. Not that it was shining in my house or anything but usually our shades are down by dark, when their spotlight lights up the flag. It's a beautiful view, seriously.

I never realized what the flag represented until 9/11. That day, I saw America, United, One Nation, united in our grief, unified in our anger, righteous in our hatred and ready, for the perfect, the ultimate, vindication of our victimization. We were viciously attacked, without provocation, without any warning. 3,000+, dead... ... Oh My God. ... ... why?

That's what I remember feeling and thinking that morning. The horror, the sadness, the uncertainty of what was to be next, the fact that it was wasn't even lunch time yet. This was going to be a very long day. A day of calls checking on family and friends, watching the news on line, talking to co-workers. Did you know anyone? Wait, where's Joe? He was flying out today. What do you think is going to happen next? Another plane? ... Oh MY GOD?!

Osama, yeah, that's the guy, he did it. We'll get em. Really? How scary is it to now realize that your own government may have been the Osama of that day? oh my god. please, no. Wait, ok, my blinders are in place, I'll be ok. Just don't look.

That's how I begin to grasp my new World.

So many years later and we still are trying to figure out what is true and what is false. The age of computers and the internet and we still don't know when someone is lying. We still want to believe, at least I know I do, that we are all honest, good people. The pursuit of happiness and all that jive. One for all and all for one. The amount of money I have does not dictate what I am or who I want to be. It should only be the means to a happy life. The culmination of good deeds and a generous spirit. Love your fellow man. At least know and accept they neighbor, no matter the differences. A bomb won't help to get your point accepted.

To accept that money and greed has replaced the gift of love and life is hard. The realization that our own values and morality are being made a joke of by the same people who represent US as a nation and a peoples is absolutely frightening. I know that we are misled, lied to and basically treated like sheep lead to a slaughter but what happens now?

My generation is use to being lied to. do you think we honesty believed Clinton? What is the definition of IS, indeed.... Come on. We laughed when the stain on the dress hit the eBay listings. We made jokes about Al Gore and his miraculous invention of the Internet. George jr. was the icing on the cake. The son following in Daddy's footsteps. Broccoli anyone? Joke after joke. Hey, I wasn't into Voting, who was? Who cares? Nothing serious enough for me to pay attention until I had to start paying taxes.

Sad, I know but look where I'm (we're) coming from for a moment. Born 1972, okay, 35 (and looking good :) , 70's, too young to have any clue. 80's, ages 8 - 18... Ronald Regan. Even Chernobyl couldn't daunt our vision of the future. Need I say more? We were happy in the 80's, admit it. The "evil empire" caved under Reagan's savy negotiation with the guy with the coffee stain on his head (coffee, coffee, coffee, cfoofoee)...sorry... ummm.. oh yeah... Nancy was all about Saying No to drugs but then saying yes to $5000 dresses. I'll give her points for having the strength to deal with Ronnie in his later years and breast issues in her later years. The lady should run for President... someday, after Hilary.... way after Hilary. That chick is giving women a bad name.... tame that tramp of a husband or leave his ass in the dust... moving on...

The 90's ... no more broccoli, heheheh puking on the Japanese guy.... hahah, wait... do they have nukes?

So, what happens while we're laughing and thinking the world is one happy love fest? The internet, journalist in tanks, oil wells exploding and gas prices skyrocketing (which at our level, compared to the environmentally conscious world is pitiful... but still...) it's time to wake up.

War. Our war. The war that WE brought to the world. Time to wake up.