From California to the New York islands

Five years ago I would never have known the plane had hit the first tower in Ney York except my mother called me at work and told me. The guys working the floor were listening to it on the radio and were too stunned to tell us in the office.

I went to Mom's and saw the second tower hit, it may have been a replay, but she is only two blocks from work, I think it was live. We were appalled, confused, and didn't know what we could do or should do in the face of such a national emergency.

We cried. We went back to our lives and our families with one eye out for unusual activity in our areas and we watched as the towers came down, the bodies were cleared, the losses counted and the rubble removed.

Five years later and we seem to be no closer to feeling really safe again. I flew out recently for the first time in twenty years. The changes, and I was aware of them from the news and my research before I left, still surprised me.

From showing up with a ticket and getting my luggage scanned then trapsing onto the plane I had to adjust to being body scanned and every bit of metal accounted for. I also had to pack with no tolietries as I was only taking carry on out with me and liquids or gels were not allowed at all, even bottled water you bought in the terminal. Because of the steel hip I had to go through an extra procedure every time I boarded even though I had a signed card from my doctor saying it was a steel hip.

I watched as one boy took an elevator down for supplies for the restruant I at. One man guarded it. When the supply cart and the boy returned he searched them. When we left San Diego there were soldiers in the terminal to supply extra security. In camo. Armed. We were not told why they had been called in. We got nervous.

I can see the new world coming but I don't have to like it.

As I go back to tearing up and preping the house for it's ten year face lift I want to thank all the people who have tried to keep our nation safe. From the bored guard at the elevator in the airport to the soldiers still fighting, unsung, overseas.

I spent a busy weekend with the kids running around with me getting what I need for the house, eating out and in, riding the motorcycle, feeding the animals and treating them, cleaning, doing laundry and moving stuff out of the house.

I never heard an air raid siren, a gun shoot, a bomb go off, or watched my neighbors be executed or blown up.

It's not the best country in the world, maybe, and our leaders and I don't agree on the way it should be cared for, but I am grateful to all the vets, firemen, medical techs, ambulance drivers, military personel, police, sheriff, security guards, and even the government for trying to make it the best and keeping us safe, whether we like it or not.