A Pre-911 World

It just occurred to me that a good portion of my readers didn't experience what America was like pre-911. 9/11 would have been a significant day for me even if that tragedy hadn't occurred, so 9/11 holds a unique position in my own life. America hasn't been the same, and for many of us this marked the point in our lives where we began to question the nature of our reality. So this is as good of a piece to write as any, I hope you dig it.

September 10, 2001 was no different for me than any other day. Back then I was a Sheriff's Deputy, a young one. I didn't make much money, so I worked a lot. Any overtime that I could get, and at this point I had been on the road long enough to get "details". Details were essentially security gigs that you performed in your official function as a Deputy. For instance if a grocery store had late hours and wanted its customers/staff to feel safe, they would pay the Sheriff's Office who would then pay the Deputies to work there. This is where the money was. $20 an hour for most details.

I worked a lot of details. September 10th was no different. Grabbed 6 hours at a legal gambling joint, then went to the station to get my patrol car and go on duty. I hadn't shaved in a couple of days, so I figured I would stop home for a minute. Say hi to the new wife, go shave, rinse off and then hit the streets.

She met me by the door. "I'm Pregnant". Man, that was the happiest moment of my life. Happiness doesn't do it justice, this topic is worthy of its own piece anyway. This happened just a few minutes after midnight.

Fast forward a whole shift, the first half spent telling everyone I knew in any capacity at all that I was going to be a father. I don't remember any specific calls that night, must have been the usual...some domestics, couple of stops, a crazy guy or two..at least in my part of town. I got to my duplex, hit the tv and saw a plane hitting a tower. I am beyond exhausted, didn't think past this being some random aviation thing. Hit the shower, pass out before I hit the pillow. Phone rings, landline back then, its my Lt. His voice is a bit more panicked than usual. Professional guy, laid back. This was a bit out of character for him. " Effective now everyone is on 24/7 call, we have been attacked".

I won't go into the events that proceeded, not now. Much has been written about this anyway. The point is that you truly did sense that everything would be different from here on out. The country was united, you hoped for the best.

Slippery Slope

I try to extend grace to those I think are wrong. I also attempt to use wisdom and understand that I know very little in reality. I often fail. That said, the things that transpired after 9/11 opened my mind. The internet was much different then, people could say what they wanted to. So when you are seeing people go "Whoa! This Patriot Act is going to lead to tyranny and illegal surveillance". You don't forget those things, even if you believe the benefits of the Patriot Act outweigh the risk, you don't forget. So I was wrong once, had a mainstream media constructed worldview, and I have since learned the see the world differently. Now we are at at stage where just seeing the world differently gets you a label from the mass media. Slippery Slope indeed.

Look Around You

Yeah, a pre 9/11 world was a better world. It was safer, it felt that way anyway. The big thing is that people in the United States had much more freedom and a better quality of life. Would I want to go back? No. I want to see a better future. I want to do my part to make a better future. The trick is understanding that ultimately there is nothing new under the sun. We are not the first people to live in strange/trying times. We are no better than the people who have lived through these things before. The triumph of the human will involves people actively working against these extraneous forces. This is why the cycles change. Everything is a cycle, the market of all things, taught me that. Stay positive, despair is our enemy. Try to help people, it does wonders for the spirit. Every tragedy has the potential to become a triumph. Never forget that.

I am all out of things to say. Hope you liked it. Never hate a like, follow, and retweet. Until next time, Jack.

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