Still difficult
My 8 year old daughter, Catherine, is as old as some of the Plebes (freshmen) at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. were ten years ago. Having grown up about an hour from West Point, I have visited and attended many football games in autumn. This was a special weekend for a football game. The sense of pride and respect I felt Saturday was at times all consuming. The men and women at West Point will be put in harms way upon their graduation as our country continues the war on terrorism. The football game against San Diego State University served as a cloak over a larger series of events this weekend. Former Mayor of NYC, Rudy Giuliani, spoke at half time to the Cadets and those in attendance.
The drive back home to West Chester, PA Sunday morning was spent listening to the memorial tributes being broadcast on the radio. When Paul Simon sang The Sound of Silence at the WTC Memorial my emotions poured out. From the back seat, I felt Catherine’s hand on my shoulder and she passed forward a box of tissues. It is still difficult.
I spent much of the afternoon alone in my garden weeding upon returning home.
September 13th, 2011 at 6:41 am
A game like football unites us all. The joy of winning and celebration together makes the moment ever bigger and memorable
September 16th, 2011 at 3:02 pm
I live in San Diego and the week leading up to that game, it was great to hear the interviews with the cadets on the football team. No of them will probably play in the NFL but it was great to hear about their dedication and spirit. It was also interesting to hear from the Aztec players after the game. Of course, they all said that they definitely wanted to win but every single one of them was simply in awe of their counterparts. Some of them even said that they would never forget watching the Army team go to the sidelines after the game for the fight song. Very cool!