Remembrance

We had a nicely done prayer breakfast this morning in remembrance of the day which is a defining moment in our country's history. The ceremony, speeches and songs were reverent, but not excessively solemn. You see, we are here. We have the ability to ensure that something like that does not happen again by our example and actions.

I still remember the 8 years ago vividly, as I am sure most of us do. We had only been on Okinawa for 2 months and were living out in town in the top floor of a Japanese house. The first of many typhoons we endured on Okinawa was slowly approaching the island. You could roughly judge the windspeed based on the pitch of the humm of the bars protecting the windows. I recall seeing a 55 gallon drum blowing around like a piece of cellophane at one point. We were exhausted and finally getting ready to go to sleep when I unexpectedly got a phone call from my good friend Ed. In a choking voice he said I should turn on the TV then hung up. There will now always be life pre and post 9-11.

Typhoon Nari slowly passed around the island for the next 36 hours. The Okinawans claimed it was a spirit typhoon meant to keep us safely in our houses for the first few terrifying days that followed.