A Slower Pace

The first big storm of the season is here. It started snowing around 9am, turned to rain around lunchtime and then changed to sleet the evening. It made it a challenge to drive around and get things done but we were able to take care of 3 out of 4 of the priority items — sign up for propane service, get a bank account and get our Kentucky licenses. The license part was a very nice surprise. First, we had to go to the local court house — a very nice, old small town court house with tall ceilings, stone steps leading up and local charm. The line for the driver’s license was non-existant. Compare that with my last trip to the California DMV where I had to wake up at 6am so I could be first in line at 6:30a for an 8am opening. When it finally opened, there were over 100 people in line. Here, we just walked right up and started the process. Two additional surprises: it cost only $9 and we walked away with our license. No exorbitant fees, no waiting 6 to 8 weeks, no bureaucratic non-sense. Just good old fashioned friendly service. My wife and I were very pleased. Thank you Shelby County Courthouse!

We spent the remainder of the afternoon at the SuperWalMart getting more odds and ends for the house. Because of the holiday season, the lines were long but everyone just talked with one another — whether they knew them or not. Quite a contrast to the Simi Valley WalMart we were used to — the friendly conversation, not the lines. WalMart needs to take a lead from Target or Vons and open more check stands. Almost all WalMarts I have been to could use more check stands to thin the long lines out.

We ended the day with a very nice dinner at Stoney River, a nice steak place that has some special meaning to us. At that spot we made our family decision to move to Kentucky as well as chose the house and placed the offer to buy the property. It was nice to share it with our guests — sis-in-law and my folks — and really enjoy the meal and company.

The drive home was challenging. The freezing rain froze the wipers to the windshield. And the ice scrapers I bought at WalMart were keeping the kitchen counter free of ice at home, but useless to me in the parking lot. We finally got on the road and the 25 minute drive evolved into a slippery 1+ hour adventure. Luckily, we took our time and arrived home safely but it isn’t fun driving on the narrow country roads in those conditions. I would rather have an empty parking lot in which to do donuts but my wife frowns upon such mischieviness. Maybe I’ll sneak out tonight.

The weather is expected to be more of the same tomorrow. I think I’ll sleep in and enjoy it out the window.

…..Dan at aslowerpace

As I promised in a previous post regarding the Oklahoma City National Memorial, here are a few thoughts during my visit.

The day was very cold — about 25F degrees. This was to be a quick side trip on our journey to Kentucky. I already felt that I was not giving enough time this memorial deserved but that is sometimes the way life is. I still wanted to take advantage of this opportunity.

(To give you background, I am the type that like to take these types of things in in entirety. I will ready every little placard, every little sign, every brochure so I can learn as much as I can about what is around me. My wife — and the kids — are opposite and want to see it and then, ok, we’re done. Remember Chevy Chase in Vacation where they make this long journey to the Grand Canyon, take a quick look, and then say, “Ok, that’s it. Let’s go.” — or something like that. That is definitely not me.)

The memorial takes up about 2 city blocks where the Murrah building used to stand as well as the street in front of it and the parking lot that was across the street. You can approach the memorial from almost any direction. We came from the north east which gave us a good view of what we came to learn was Survivor Tree. This tree was in a parking lot across the street and survived the blast. It has become a symbol of resilience and hope. It is surrounded by a terrace that overlooks the site. It has a quote etched into the stone that says “The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated. Our deeply rooted faith sustains us.”. The tree is a symbol of that.

During our visit, one of the local nearby churches was piercing the regular city noise with “O, Come All Ye Faithful” from its church bells. It made for a poignant moment.

From east to west is a reflecting pond that sits where the street used to sit. Very peaceful and serene. The reflections of the scenery around it disappear into the black below. The east “gate” represents the 9:02 time before evil bombed the building. The west “gate” represents the 9:03 time when all the lives were changed forever.

Just south of the reflecting pond, where the Murrah building used to sit, is the lawn with chairs representing each of the 169 victims killed. Each has a name on it and is situated on a level where that person last was in the building. Smaller chairs represent the children that were taken — very sad. While it was daytime during our visit, you couldn’t really see the light in each chair. But I am sure during the night, it is an awesome scene.

There are quite a few more things in and around the site that demand description but I didn’t have the time to see them. There is also an indoor museum that would take a normal person about 2 hours to go through. Inside they honor all the victims — killed and injured. It is my intent to make a special day trip to the memorial, probably by myself, so I can take it all in. I have been to many memorials — Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson Mem, Vietnam Mem, WWII Mem among others — but this one was one of the best at describing what happened, how it affected the city and people and how they were honoring those moving forward releasing the bitterness and embracing hope for the future. Lots of symbolism and representation made for a very powerful display. The folks in New York City would benefit by getting a hold of those on the committee that birthed this memorial so they could pay proper tribute to those we lost on 9/11.

If you ever get through OK City, stop by. You will not regret it. Allow for several hours, but, as in my case, if you cannot, stop by for just a little while. Every minute spent there is worth it.

God bless all of those affected that day — April 19, 1995.

…..Dan at aslowerpace