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A NEW WORLD
So ends another camping season... We took one last trip to VT for Labor Day weekend, then decided to pack it in for the year. Funny thing - we had a great long trip this summer and we all agreed that we would have been happy to have stayed on the road even longer, but when we got home we felt oddly satiated. We weren't sick of RVing, but we felt like we'd had enough for a while. We had a great time with Kurt and Dawn on Labor Day, but had no qualms about winterizing when we got home. Then came September 11 and all priorities were rearranged. The focus was on CNN and MSNBC news. The thought of all those dead civilians, firefighters, EMS workers, and police officers was so very painful. The frustration at not being able to DO something about it was intense. Now we wonder how much life has changed in the U.S. and how different next year's trip around the country will be. Will security concerns prevent our son from visiting or seeing things that we had taken for granted? Before 9/11 we had been talking about taking him on his first trip to NYC. We will probably still go but it will be very painful to see NY now that the towers are gone. It is hard to believe he will never see them.
Even so, life goes on. We were fortunate that we did not lose any family or friends in the attacks. Americans will do what they always have - adapt, adjust, overcome, and move on. We will RV next year. We will explore more of this wonderful country and we will do it with an even greater appreciation of how lucky we are to be Americans. CNN is off and the Sunday morning cartoons are back on. I am starting to lurk the RV newsgroups again. We are starting to think about next year's big trip. The terrorists will fail because we will not let fear rule our lives. In fact, it is good to see the country coming together again. The flags are flying, my students actually stand and cover their hearts when the national anthem is played, and people are learning who the real heroes in our society are - those who put the lives and safety of others above their own. God bless America and all the firefighters, police, EMS workers, and military personnel who give of themselves so we will be safe.