Skip to main content

God Bless the U.S.A.



No words will ever be right to comment about today,
today seventeen years ago.

 But to say nothing is a worse crime.

I heard worried talk amongst the grownups at the bus stop.
I saw billowing smoke gasping out of a skyscraper on a tiny television box in my fourth grade classroom.
I felt the stars and stripes,
and I wept, I wept, I wept.

I wrote the following in my journal on September 11th, 2001 (forgive spelling and accuracy details, this is the event as perceived by my nine year old self):

"Today terrorism has struck America. This very day, in New York and Washington D.C. It is the most terrify in news I have ever heard in my lifetime. Planes crashed into the Pentigon that crushed it to peices, Fires burnd in New York. 200 firefiters killed. Thousands of people, dead. Some sick, some living. this day all the lives of the United States were efected. The presidant, George W. Bush said that some of us were to go to war to fight, int eh Airforce, Army, Navy and Marines. I am woried. Will our Army win? Will I be ruled by a king in a few years? This has never happened to the United States through all of its History. This has changed my life forever."

Two days later, on September 13th:

"At school yesterday, or the day before, Mr. Martin (our principal) On the intercom put on a song, called, 'God bless the U.S.A.' The song goes something like this.
'I'm proud to be an American, at least I know I'm free. And I won't forget the men who died, to give that right to me.'
It has more to the song but I can't remember the rest.
I felt as though I felt comforted a little with the words and the tune came to me. It felt as though that song was ment for me to hear. For after all I LOVE America. America is WONDERFUL."

God Bless the U.S.A.
Our country is not perfect, and our history is not without it's flaws.
But the core of American striving, that I can understand, is liberty, equality, and opportunity--values I celebrate.
And for every human soul who has suffered or died at the hands of terrorists of any kind (and for every human soul who has battled against it), I weep with you, and I plead alongside you for a world of peace and justice free from cares and sorrows.
God Bless the U.S.A.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Problem with Chick Flicks.

I really, really, really enjoy a select few movies that I willingly watch over and over again. Pride and Prejudice is one of them. You see, Elizabeth's defense of her family, her sense of self respect, her ability to admit that she was wrong and to appreciate Darcy despite all his quirks, and quizzical brow-ness... it's marvelous. My husband doesn't share the sentiment, could you tell? ... and that's okay. There's rare a chick flick I enjoy near as much as I enjoy Pride and Prejudice or A Walk To Remember , and I wanted to explain why. You see, there's more than just a few problems with (many, not all) chick flicks:  (and if you have a chick flick that escapes many of these pitfalls then please oh please leave it's title in the comment section!) The heroine (or suitor) is less than honorable. I have a hard time rooting for a girl to get a gentleman when she's spending her time being scandalously loose with other men ( #thenotebook) . An...
10 comments
Read more

Where's Number Three

A neighbor in her mid-thirties. A woman in her seventies. Their single commonality? They both asked me: Where's number three? I have a son, his name Charlie And then McKay, he's not quite three In my heart, both fit perfectly Yet others ask: Where's number three? Perhaps it's that I miscarried, My spouse's infidelity, The ache of infertility, A battle raging mentally, Illness on a crippling spree, Our family is complete, maybe. The reason's one or more of these, Yet you dare ask: Where's number three? In this question, running free Are judgements, jeering icily "You're not enough, Mik, can't you see? Buck up and give us number three!" I used to flounder, squirm, agree Or curl up small, cry, and plead. With time, I've seen things differently. I won't explain for number three. The questions of maternity Are just between my spouse and me And Parents, guiding Heavenly So please don't ask: Where's number three? Artwork Credit: Be...
4 comments
Read more

Three Novels in Progress. Two Blogs. One Writer. A Whole Lot of Shenanigans

Where in the world is Carmen SanDiego? Ahem, I mean Mikayla Johnson? (a wink to any of you 90s kids that remember that show. To be honest, I don't remember more than the show's jingle, but, still . . . good times) So, where can you find my writing?  Some of you beloved readers have found my writing through this blog; you're die–hards that have been around as long as six years. Bless you. You probably noticed that I did a dive-bomb off the blogosphere from 2019 til 2022. Now, contrary to popular belief, I did not stop writing. Rather, I went back to writing novels.  That's where more of you beloved readers found me. Gratefully, I have a wealth of good people who volunteered to beta read my novels and have been coaching and cheerleading me along in that journey. Bless you, too.  Still, more of you have found my writing through social media platforms, a second website ( mikjohnsonwrites.com ), my ENGL 420 class, and beyond. And, of course, I could never forget the handfu...
3 comments
Read more