Do You Remember Where You Were?

A lot of Americans will remember where they were on September 11th, 2001. But how many of y'all remember where you were on April 19th, 1995?

Today marks the 20th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

I remember.....

It was when I was still living in Canada. I was in a Hotel room in Kingston, Ontario, getting dressed and ready with my teammates for our Provincial Deaf Dart Tournament. (Yes this deafblind lady played darts!) I turned on the TV to check the weather and the News and saw nothing but what was left of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. 168 people were killed & over 680 others were injured. All of us in those hotel rooms were silenced as the captions spit out the horrible details.

One image still haunts me to this day....

I was not a mother back then, I hadn't even met Randy yet....but that image ripped me to the core. All I could do was say a quiet prayer for all the families and that they find the bastards who did this.

Fast forward 12 years and I'm married with 2 kids and we're living in Oklahoma ourselves. Every April the kid's classes discuss this Anniversary and the history lesson. My local Deaf friends tell me of their experiences on that day too. Our Church's previous interim Pastor was there that day, He had to go to the Murrah Building for business but couldn't find a parking spot because a big Ryder truck had taken up spots in front (yes, THE truck). When he drove around the far side of the buildings is when the bomb went off. He ran to offer his services as a Pastor and spent the day rescuing and helping the survivors. He said he needed counseling for years afterwards because the area was strewn with body parts, some belonged to children.

So no...I will never forget....

As a Native Okie, Garth Brooks made a great tribute (Click below to go to actual video)

Garth Brooks video: The Change from Big Chief Studio on Vimeo.

The Change

One hand reaches out 
And pulls a lost soul from harm
While a thousand more go unspoken for
And they say, 
"What good have you done by saving just this one"
It's like whispering a prayer 
In the fury of a storm

And I hear them saying, 
"You'll never change things
And no matter what you do 
It's still the same thing"
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so, this world will know
That it will not change me

This heart still believes
That love and mercy still exist
While all the hatreds rage
And so many say
"That love is all but pointless,
In madness such as this
"It's like trying to stop a fire 
With the moisture from a kiss"

And I hear them saying, 
"You'll never change things
And no matter what you do 
It's still the same thing"
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so, this world will know
That it will not change me

As long long as one heart still holds on
Then hope is never really gone

And I hear them saying, 
"You'll never change things
And no matter what you do 
It's still the same thing"
But it's not the world that I am changing
I do this so, this world we know
Never changes me

What I do is so, this world will know
That it will not change me

Songwriters TESTER, R. WAYNE / ARATA, ANTHONY M. Published by Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Rest in Peace....

OKC National Memorial & Museum

So, do you remember where you were?

Tracy,
One finds limits by pushing them" ~ Herbert Simon