I hope so, but I really wonder...

On the way home from DDQ&H's house last week, we decided to make one of those side-trips we always say we are going to do.  This time, it was a short diversion to see the Memorial for the Heroes of Flight 93.  It is just a short little drive off I-70 and we have been meaning to do this one ever since we have been going to NY.

Located in a remote, hilly area of Pennsylvania near the town of Shanksville, it is a pleasant drive.  And as you get closer to it however, your mind starts to take over and you think of the people and events of that day.  You conjure up a picture for yourself, partly made up of half-forgotten news reports, and partly from whatever you might know from personal experiences of wooded areas and hills.  It is nothing like the real site.

A long, winding drive sets the tone for you as you enter the grounds.  There are pull-offs with signs that explain some things, that give a perspective of what took place.  If you ever get the chance to stop at this site, don't by-pass these things as they really do give a sense of direction and help to better understand the enormity of the horror that took place just a little ways on down the road.

The entire site is still in the process of being built.  There are 40 groves of trees being planted, one for each of the victims of the crash.  And then you get to the parking lot.  It's not that big and I think that is good.  This whole place is an unpretentious marker of heroism and resistance to terrorism.  And then there is a small visitor center of sorts. Inside, there is a place to leave messages, thoughts, and sign in to a visitor's log.  There are more info signs around it, and a map so you can get your bearings of the events spread out before you.  There are also pictures of the 40 victims.

Memorial thoughts posted on the bulletin board.

None of them looks extraordinary.  No one would immediately pop out as being a super hero or someone capable of standing up to these Arab extremists this way.  I looked at the pictures and wondered if I had been on that plane, would I have had the courage to step up to them.  I think I would have, but I don't know.  I guess nobody really knows until they are confronted with something like this. Emerson once said : "Every man has his own courage, and is betrayed because he seeks in himself the courage of other persons." I don't know how any of them are different from me or me them.  But I am glad these particular individuals were aboard that flight.  If it had been anyone else, would the results have been the same? 

Anyway, back to the Memorial.  After going through the visitor building, you walk down a long walkway to the actual site of the crash.  There, you see a white granite wall made up of individual panels, each bearing the name of one of the victims.   As you face the wall, and look off to the right, up the hill over which they came before flipping and crashing, you can see some posts on top of the hill.  That establishes the final flight path of 93.  Then as you look to the left, you see some wooden poles that create a kind of door through which you can look out to see the actual impact area.  The whole area is fenced in to keep people out of there.  The crater is growing over now and will eventually be covered with wild flowers.  When we were there, the whole area was covered with snow.

View from the visitor center looking toward crash site.

One of the tributes left along the walkway to the crash site.

Looking up the hill over which the plane flew prior to crash. Notice the posts at the top of the picture, centered.  This establishes the flight path.

This is pretty much the same shot, except w/o the zoom.  Gives a perspective of the final, downhill flight path.

Looking down the Memorial Wall toward the impact site.  Notice the names of the victims on the wall. Beyond the gate is the impact site.

Impact area of Flight 93.

The covering of snow put this site in a different perspective from that September day.  It gave it a coldness that heightened the feeling of respect, and heroism that we felt. It spiked the coldness of this act of hatred.  It also intensified a bit the sadness we felt for the families of those who went down here.

And I still don't know if I have an answer for my original question.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear.  (Ambrose Redmoon)

Hooah

Now it's our turn...

Many, many years ago, my grandmother took me to see the circus in New York.  It was the Greatest Show on Earth -- the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus and it was playing at the Madison Square Garden.  I was pretty young then, and really impressed with all the trappings of the circus.  The animals, the strange-looking people (some of whom were even in the circus), and the surroundings. It was quite a show.  Having read about it before we left Zanesville, I thought I knew what to expect.  However, it was every bit as advertised -- the greatest show on earth.  Every grandparent should have the opportunity to take their grandchild to the land of make believe and wonder.

Now, many years later, my memories have shifted a bit.  I do remember getting sick because I ate too much junk food (and that is why I wouldn't let our grandson have a cotton candy when we went this past week).  I also remember all the shiny toys and trinkets and how much I wanted to have  ............. whatever it was.  I can't remember now!!  Anyway, it was a great time.  So when we were planning to visit NY to stay with DDQ&H for the week (Quinn's schools were closed for Spring Break) and Doug sent us an email telling us that the circus was in town, I knew we had to take Quinn. What an opportunity.

Since Doug had to work and Danika had to stay with Heath, we would have to navigate the subway system all by ourselves (well, Quinn would be there and surprisingly, he knew his way around pretty well).  It wasn't that big of a deal.  It was only 10 stops and one flight of stairs.  Piece of cake.

So here we are at the Barclays Center getting ready to go in for the show. It was really pretty good, but had a little more gymnastics than I remember.  And I didn't see the clowns who would twirl the plates up on sticks.  I missed them.  But all in all, it still had the big show appeal.

 

On the way out of the show, Quinn convinced us that he had never had a snow cone before and he really, really wanted one.  So, since we're either the two most gullible people on the earth, or just because we thought it would be fun to have a frozen ice treat too, we bought one for him.  I have never seen such a blue mouth before.

But like I said, it was fun for us, and pretty amazing to see him react to everything.  This is truely one of those things every grandparent should experience.  Who knows -- maybe your grandson will also get to put on a big red nose and think just for a second what fun it would be to belong to a circus.  Maybe you'll put it on yourself!!

Sometimes I think God wants there to be a circus so we can show there's another way to respond.  (Tony Dungy)

Hooah
P.S.  While I was watching the Rignmaster do his thing out there, and he was really quite good at it, I wondered where he got his training.  I wondered if he was a theater or music graduatge from a college or university.  I mean it makes sense, doesn't it.  Anyway, the point  is -- I bet his parents are proud of him -- graduating with a degree and then running off to join the circus :-)

Now you see them, now you don't...

I don't know if this is an official admission of anything, but I have now been wearing a pair of hearing aids for about a month.  I have had a hearing problem, according to my wife, for a decade or more.  So about a year ago, I finally went to the VA to see if I could get some help on getting this taken care of.  The people were very nice, and tested me.  They said I did, indeed, have a hearing issue that was medically diagnosed and not one just "wife-diagnosed."  So I asked them about getting hearing aids and they said they would have to send in the results to some VA headquarters in Cleveland. I should have known I was in trouble, because nothing good has ever come to me through Cleveland.  Basically, they said thanks for your service, but sorry about your luck.  No hearing aids.  Oh, and by the way, don't ask for anything else because you don't qualify.  Arghhhhh!!

Now you see it...

So I went about another year developing my vocabulary around the word "WHAT" or the extended version (which was usually aimed at my wife) "What did you say?".  Then, quite by accident, I came across an article in a retired military magazine that talked about a new program for retirees who were looking to get hearing aids.  It is called "The Retiree-at-cost Hearing Aid Program (RACHP)."  It got my attention right away because it had a couple of my favorite words in there "Retiree" and "at-cost."  The only one missing was "free."

Now you don't.

The program is a DOD program that allows retirees to get professional hearing testing, purchase hearing aids at cost, then have a registered audiologist fit them and watch over them for a year at a substantially reduced cost.  Basically,  the hearing aids (the brand I got is OPTICOM) retail for about $3,600-$3,700 per side and then you would have to purchase the treatment plan from the audiologist.  All in all, the cost is close to $7,500 - $8,000.
 
That is quite an expense and the reason why lots of people go without -- they just can't afford the cost.  Besides that, according to the audiologist, the devices are only supposed to last 5-7 years until they are outdated and obsolete.

The cost for this package under this program was right around $700 total plus the audiologist's fees.  I've told people that this is the first thing I've been able to say is a "good deal" that is provided by the military.  If you are a retired military person, Google this or call your county Veterans' Service Center to check into it.

With this new-found hearing experience, I've come across a lot of new or rediscovered things.  Once I put them on, if I scratch my head anywhere around my ears, I hear a crinkling sound, much like running a spoon across an old wash board.  Must be all those old, dead brain cells that are flaking off rubbing up against my gray hair making all that racket.  Also, I found out that if I have an itch in my ear, I can't just stick my finger in there to scratch it like I did in the old days.  Last week when we were going through the mountains in Pennsylvania, my ears would get that normal altitude stuffiness people always get.  However, something new this time -- not only did I feel the pressure get relieved as I yawned, but I could also "hear" my ears popping open.  Now I wonder why, if those hearing ends are so close to my brain, why can't I hear myself think????  I also found out that I can't leave the devices in when I take a nap.  So, not wanting to give up my naps, I have become quite adept at putting the things in and taking them out.

Oh, one other thing ... now that I can hear well enough, I may have to recommit to learning Morse Code so I can expand that segment of my amateur radio hobby.

But a couple of things I have enjoyed the most is hearing my one grandson, Quinn, read to me, and hearing my other grandson, Heath, make those contentment sounds as he naps or just stares at me. And I do look forward to renewing my acquaintance with the sounds of birds, the crackling of the campfire, the explosion of a fish breaking the surface of the lake while I battle him, the whir of a hummingbird's wings as it zooms here and there, and the sweet sound of a golf ball properly struck.

Some emotions don't make a lot of noise.  It's hard to hear pride.  Caring is real faint -- like a heartbeat.  And pure love -- why, some days, it's so quiet, you don't even know it's there. (Anon.)

Hooah