story6309.xml

story6309.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-12

I watched with a smile creeping across my face as my four year old daughter played "Bat-man". Her world was chaotic with the destruction of a villain until her hero arrived on the scene to rescue her. Bat-man . . . it had been so long since I had been a part of that fantasy world my daughter was rapped up in that day. It was a world where there was always a villain that could be seen, and the heroes were super-sonic. One or two would always save the day and smiles would spread across the faces of all victims. They would all cheer and the heroes and heroines would go off to prevent another catastrophe.

As I sat and replayed the events of September 11, 2001 in my mind, I became painfully aware of the difference in the two separate worlds my daughter and I live in. Yet, the more I thought about it, the more similarities I've found in the two.

Although it seemed at the time that the villains on that dreadful day were faceless and invisible, within a very short time we knew every attacker on board those planes. There has not been a more chaotic day in America since I can remember than the day all work stopped and total strangers joined hands and prayed for our nation as we watched the events unfurl in front of us on local, national and international television stations.

Almost like a cartoon extravaganza where all the Super-Heroes worked together to fight the evil forces that had attacked Gotham City, we watched as literally hundreds of men and women in every walk of life, became our nation's Super-Heroes as they ran into burning buildings, doctored and cared for total strangers, and wept as they tried to find people they did not know by a single snap shot. Police officers who took family and friends from place to place to try to identify loved ones who had passed away in the attack, and held them while they wept as yet again they found no clues. My hat goes off to them. The firemen who worked tirelessly to find a trace of life in the rubble. My heart is filled with pride to have such men and women as a part of our nation. The three men who saw the necessity of a flag being flown at the site as if to say. . ."we may be down, but we're not out. And we will be up again!" The ordinary folks who did what they could . . . things like making coffee for the men, bringing meals, donuts or juice to help keep them going. The ones who couldn't do much so they stood by and shouted encouraging words, and those who whispered prayers for the safety of those working at ground zero. Then there are the volunteers who flew, rode trains, buses and drove to New York to give those exhausted workers a break (whether they actually left ground zero or not).

Although this is by far the end, I would like to mention one more group of people I consider my heroes. They couldn't go, they may not have had money, clothes or food to send, but I don't know how many thousands of candles, lights, flags, flowers, banners, bumper stickers & etc. I've seen since that day. I know I will never, ever be able to meet all my real-life heroes, but I hold you in my heart. I honor you. America. . .you are my hero. When the very essence of what we stand for and live by was attacked, it sent us to our knees but instead of crumbling there, we prayed for strength and got back up to show the world that we are still Proud to Be Americans.

For now I'll let Candace go on in her fantasy world with Bat-Man & Robin, Spider Man and Wonder Woman, but I can hardly wait for the day I can tell my little girl about the day every real-life hero in America stood together to fight a real-life evil force and we won!

God Bless the U.S.A. (my Heroes)!

Julie Vandiver