Days Afield

The timing was perfect this morning. As I drove across the 34th street bridge out of Ocean City New Jersey, I punched the button for my favorite Country Music station. The radio was a little scratchy. The station was WXTU, out of Philadelphia, and reception is not good at the Jersey Shore, but it was just good enough to catch the familiar line from Alan Jackson, “where we you when the world stopped turning on that September day”… That line also happens to include the title of the song. That is one of my favorites, and even though it wasn’t the most clear playback, it was good enough. Just as I settled on that song, I looked to my left and saw a big American flag, planted in the salt marsh, waving in the morning sea breeze.




I’ve seen sights similar quite often. In fact, I passed another flag further up route 49 in Cumberland County, near Union Road, proudly standing on a small mound in the middle of Cumberland Pond, rhythmically waving to all those passing by. The radio station was playing an appropriate collection of songs, all patriotic, American themed selections. After that Alan Jackson tune came “An American Child”, and then Toby Kieth’s somewhat new hit, "Love me if you can", where expresses no apologies for his strong support of traditional “American” values. There were many more, all along the same line of thought. As we approach the celebration of our Independence, I expected as much from that radio station, as Country Music artists seem unabashed in their support for traditional American values, and express that regularly in their music.

I wonder though how many of us notice those flags, and think of what they stand for. To be honest, I cannot remember if there ever was a flag flying in a lake, pond, marsh or field before September 11, 2001, but immediately afterwards, I noticed them, everywhere. Many of them are still up, and some, well, I couldn’t tell you because I don’t notice them as much any longer either.

I can remember where I was that September day. I was speeding up the New Jersey Turnpike shortly after the plane hit the second tower. You can see the New York City skyline from the turnpike easily…but not on that day. On that day, all I saw as I raced north was a heavy black cloud where the famous and instantly recognizable array of buildings previous stood against the blue sky. It was erie. For miles, the turnpike was a parking lot. My pace was dramatically slowed as I tried to find room on the shoulder. All traffic was stopped, people were walking between cars, standing on the shoulder of the roadway, leaning against the concrete barrier, staring in disbelief, looking towards that all too familiar skyline that was now shrouded in smoke, ash and death. As I got closer, the sights and smells reminded me of something I’ve experienced before: there was no doubt this was a war zone. I’ve seen this before I thought, but this can’t be happening here…in MY country. But it was. This is something that only happens “over there” I thought. Not any longer.

And it CAN happen again. As we go about our daily lives, it’s easy to forget, it’s easy not to notice those flags flying in those places where flags never flew before. It’s easy to look past them, or even if we do see them, forget why they were planted there in the first place. It’s easy to sit around the picnic table, or the bar-b-que grill, stuffing ourselves with more food in one day than some of our soldiers get in a week, and bash our Government, and our President as we Monday Morning quarterback his every move. That is easy, maybe a little too easy. What is not easy is seeing another day like that September day. Yet if we forget about those flags, if we think that we already earned our freedom and don’t have to work at keeping it, there Will be another one of those days, and maybe more than one. We’ve all most certainly heard the saying "Freedom Isn’t Free", but how many of us actually think about it? Do we think that freedom “wasn’t” free, meaning that “hey, they already fought for our freedom and won, God bless those patriots from 1776”. Or do we realize that freedom isn’t free also means we have to keep fighting for it?

Fighting for freedom isn’t the sole duty of our soldiers either. It’s the duty of all citizens. Something as simple as voting for the politician that preserves our freedoms, instead of the candidate who thinks we need less freedoms because we can’t be trusted with them, is also a vital step in preserving our freedoms.

We have a lot to think about this July fourth…our Independence Day. Notice those flags. Pray for those soldiers and their families, pray for our leaders, and if you get a chance, find that Alan Jackson song, “Where were you when the world stopped turning” and listen to it, either the for the first time, or just once again. Nothing could be more appropriate for our Fourth of July celebration.

Have a great Independence Day holiday.

DV