Comfort, Strength, Peace, Hope, and Serenity

I left Puerto de Luna with a full stomach and even more food for the road, ready for the next leg of the trip... through Texas. The flat, dry, and extremely monotonous land flew by, courtesy of the mundane, yet all-consuming writings of one Nicholas Sparks. Thank God for Cracker Barrel's audiobook lending system (not to be replaced by your public library for round trip adventures, of course)!

I ended up in a bit of the country called Oklahoma, a special place and my favorite state (overall) so far on this trip. They had the most luxurious rest stop just over the TX border that would put the NYS Thruway to shame and all of the people I met had excellent customer service skills. Realization of the day: I will never completely rely on my smartypants phone for directions. It's much better to chat with locals who can tell you about the road conditions and the best spots to park. In fact, by chatting with the people at your hotel's front desk, you may even get free batteries for your camera when you ask if any are sold nearby. The state was filled with tons of sweet people and good drivers! In addition, Oklahoma City reminded me of Albany, NY complete with a business/government district and similar looking highway bridges all right next to a lovely river.

Yet, the above is a bunch of inconsequential nonsense. The most important thing about Oklahoma City is the Oklahoma City National Memorial. This deserves a whole post of its own or, better yet, it deserves your presence in Oklahoma City.

9:01 Gate symbolizing Oklahoma City's last moment of innocence

 

An illuminated chair for each person killed.

I expect that I lot of people remember where they were on the morning of September 11th quite vividly. But do you remember where you were at 9:02 Central Time on April 19, 1995 when a bomb exploded outside of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City? It's strange to feel so connected to a tragedy that happened so far from home, but my family was. We watched the coverage of the Oklahoma City Bombing rescue and recovery efforts every night, we planted a tree named Oklahoma in our front yard, and we wore ribbons of blue, purple and yellow to honor the victims. What touched a lot of people, especially my mom, a federal worker with the Social Security Administration who sent her kids to a government-run daycare and summer camp, was the fact that 19 children died in the bombing. The youngest was 3 months old and in the building to receive his first Social Security card.

The 9:03 Gate represents the first moment of healing

This is the context from which I arrived at the memorial. It is one of the most peaceful and powerful places I have ever visited. I compare it to finding the Southern Cross in the night sky above Cusco, Peru and wishing on shooting stars in Death Valley, CA. The emphasis at the memorial is on survival, strength, and healing. There is a survivor's wall, a survivor's elm tree which caught fire after the blast, and so many stories which I was lucky to hear from the NPS interpreter. I left a note on the fence surrounding the former daycare playground and I left my hand print on the 9:03 Gate, symbolizing the personal impact of the memorial.

Words totally fail. There's so much more to say, but you really need to experience it for yourself.

Expression of grief from rescuers working at the bombing site.