Book Review: Beanball by Gene Fehler

Luke Wallace is a special kid. As a star football, basketball, and baseball player he has a bright future ahead of him. Everyone knows he will go on to be a superstar. The only question is which sport will be lucky enough to have him. Baseball is his sport, the one he loves more than any other.

But things change dramatically in a split second. During a pivotal late-season matchup with their archrival Compton, the Oak Grove High School centerfielder's life is turned upside down.
It's every batter's worst nightmare. A fastball to the head that comes in so quickly Luke doesn't have time to react. At first no one is sure whether he's even alive. Ultimately, he will live but his life is changed is forever. So are the lives of many other folks especially those who saw the gruesome event. This one moment has a lasting impact on an entire community.

Poet Gene Fehler's first young adult novel Beanball tells the story of Luke Wallace and the lasting impact that this beaning will have on his promising athletic career. Through use of verse he tells the story from the standpoint of 28 different characters. What we discover is that this event has a far bigger impact than just what happens to Luke but many others including some who weren't even there are dramatically impacted by what happens.

While it may seem gimmicky to use poetry to tell a story such as this, Mr. Fehler manages to make it work. The story is in itself compelling. He does a tremendous job of putting us right in the ballpark as Luke Wallace comes to bat. We can almost hear the sickening sound of the baseball hitting his head. We can see him in our mind's eye crumpling to the ground. We can also relate to the emotional turmoil that Luke's friends go through as they watch him struggle through his recovery.

There are two minor flaws, however, that do detract from the story. First, the sheer number of characters is a little confusing to the reader. A few of them only make cameo appearances in the narrative while a number of them are far more important to the overall story. Trying to juggle all of the characters combined with adjusting to Mr. Fehler's writing style can be a little overwhelming.

Second, younger readers may be put off by the use of profanity by the Compton coach. While it may have been consistent with his character it seemed unnecessary and off-putting. Mr. Fehler might have been better served to remember who his target audience is with this book and adjust the dialogue accordingly.

In spite of these minor flaws, I still found it to be an entertaining book. I thought Mr. Fehler did an especially good job of capturing the thoughts and emotions of the characters and particularly of Luke Wallace. It was easy to see how Luke could have said and thought some of the things he did based on what he had experienced.

Borrowing a little baseball parlance, I would say Beanball is a solid double and possibly a triple but not quite good enough to be a home run. Still, it's a solid effort and an engaging read.


This article originally appeared at Blogcritics.

Baseball Quote of the Week

This is a game to be savored, not gulped. There's time to discuss everything between pitches or between innings.

~ Bill Veeck

What Sarah Should Do Next

Governor Sarah Palin hit a monumental home run with her debate performance tonight and put to rest all those pesky doubts about her abilities to serve as Vice-President. Of course, her supporters already knew she was up to the job. It was the media naysayers and Beltway pundits that had to be reminded of the innate talents this women possesses that haven't been seen in another politician since Ronald Reagan.

Senator Joe Biden turned in a fair performance himself. No major gaffes but lots of false statements.

Still, this debate was all about Governor Palin. It served as a reminder as why voters like her so much. It also reminded us of when she is really at her best: when she can speak directly to the American people without any assistance (or is that interference?) from the media.

So, here is my advice to the McCain campaign: put Governor Palin on every talk radio show both national and local that you can get her on over the next four weeks and let her use her immense communication skills in speaking directly to voters. Have her sit down with the high traffic bloggers and let them record podcasts or video interviews that are completely unedited and, more importantly, unfiltered.

Don't bother granting any more interviews to Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson, or any of the other MSM dinosaurs. They don't deserve the privilege of talking to her.

Governor Palin is at her best when she can speak from the heart directly to the people without having to worry about "gotcha" questions from a hostile media that is totally in the tank for Senator Barack Obama. Bypass all the traditional media outlets and take your message directly to the voters. It will have a far greater impact than you can possibly imagine.

Wanted: Real Men

Where have all the real men gone? Where are the men who will take a stand for something? Or will be responsible for their own actions? Protect their family? Be the hero?

If you're like me, you know that such men are hard to find. That's in large part because most men today are a shadow of the men that God designed them to be. Men have been emasculated for years by radical feminism. Our country is paying the price for real men not being around to step up and lead. Families are suffering because real men aren't there to lead them. Churches are becoming weaker because real men haven't stepped up to take charge.

Thankfully, there is hope for men. Author and talk show host Kevin McCullough not only has identified the problem but provides practical solutions in his new book The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be: Taking a Stand for True Masculinity.

The rise of what we now commonly think of as feminism in the 1960s was actually a drastic departure from the classic definition of feminism as it had been commonly understood. As Mr. McCullough argues, the goal of classic feminism was equality between sexes. The goal of radical feminism is sameness.

Taken to its logical conclusion, radical feminism has caused a blurring of the gender roles between men and women. As a result, men are left unsure of who they should be and what their proper role in society actually is. The radical feminists have stripped away men's identity in their effort to achieve sameness between the sexes.

But God did not design men and women to be the same. He did design them to be equal in worth in His kingdom. At the same time, he provided distinctive roles for each sex. Our culture has worked hard to try to remove those distinctions. The result is mass confusion especially among men.

Mr. McCullough, however, doesn't simply make cultural observations in laying out the problems that men face. To his credit, he shares openly how he has been directly affected by his own struggle to understand what it means to be a man of God. His honesty about his own failings is both startling and refreshingly honest. By being willing to open up and offer a glimpse into his own past he brings a sense of authenticity to the problem.

Having thoroughly documented the problem, he then progresses to offering practical solutions. He very neatly encapsulates each idea in a simple slogan that is easy to remember (e.g. "Believe With Certainty", "Act With Clarity", "Fight With Tenacity", to name a few). These action steps help the reader understand how they can practically apply the principles outlined in the book. As with the first half of the book, he again relies in large part on personal experiences to illustrate his points.

When I first received this book, I was anxious to dive right in. I found myself wanting to immediately apply everything I was learning from the book. Little did I know it at the time but the opportunity would arise to put things I was learning into practice immediately. In that respect, this was a timely book for me as I didn't realize until I was done how much I needed to read it.

While this book is primarily written for men, it's also a great book for women. By reading this book, women can get a better idea of what God desires for men to be. It allows women to encourage the men that are in their lives. For a single woman, it gives a great portrait of what they should be looking for in a man.

I highly recommend this book especially to men everywhere. If you are a father and you're raising a son, this is a book you will want to read with him. It's the kind of book that you will want to read with a highlighter in hand ready to mark up the pages. It's also the kind of book that can be read over and over again and still having something fresh for you to learn.

The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be: Taking a Stand For True Masculinity is one of the most important books I've read in a long time. Mr. McCullough should be congratulated for having the courage to write this book. It's a message that men (and women) everywhere need to hear. I'm thankful for this book and can't wait to dive into it again. It has changed my life and I'm sure it could change yours, too.

Click here to listen to my interview with Kevin McCullough.

Media Alert

I'm scheduled to appear on World, Have Your Say on the BBC World Service between 1pm and 2pm ET today. We'll be discussing tonight's vice-presidential debate and the influence of the media on the election. You can hear the program online at the BBC World Service homepage or on Sirius and XM Radio.

UPDATE: My co-blogger at Stones Cry Out managed to snag the audio from today's program. The whole thing was a complete surprise to me and I'm flattered that the folks at the BBC thought what I wrote about the debate was noteworthy. Thanks to them for the opportunity to participate in the program.

The Veep Debate

For ninety minutes tonight, Governor Sarah Palin and Senator Joe Biden will square off in the one and only vice-presidential debate of this campaign season. While there's been lots of hangwringing over how Governor Palin will do in the debate, I think the worry is unnecessary. In fact, the debate may actually work in Governor Palin's (and ultimately Senator John McCain's) favor.

Here's how I got there: the debate will allow the voters to see both candidates completely unfiltered. There's no spin, no helpful media covering up one candidate's gaffes, no exploitative media blowing the other candidate's gaffes way out of proportion. People will get to see them both as they really are and be able to make up their minds about which one they like better.

In the end, I don't think that who wins the debate will matter all that much. As Rich Galen points out, Dan Quayle had a horrible debate in 1988 and it didn't stop George H. W. Bush from being elected.

Just as an aside, I think his over-under of three and a half is on the low side.

Back to my original point: voters will get to see the candidates as they really are without the influence of any media spin (positive or negative). That's the real value in having a debate.

Governor Palin, when she is relaxed, comes across as very real. For many voters that's incredibly appealing.

Senator Biden, while being very intelligent and experienced, has one major flaw: he talks too much.

Governor Palin has to have the same kind of performance she did during her acceptance speech at the Republican convention.

Senator Biden has to tread carefully so that he doesn't (a) say something really stupid and ultimately damaging to the campaign and (b) doesn't come across as condescending towards Governor Palin.

On balance, I think Senator Biden is the one who is under more pressure going into this debate.

There's also the issue of moderator Gwen Ifill. I don't watch PBS as a rule so I can't speak with any confidence as to how well she's going to do. The consensus of opinion I have heard is that she will do a fine job.

But I don't think she should have ever accepted the job in the first place. Her book deal has what lawyers like to refer to as the "appearance of impropriety". It's not that you can say with certainty that it's wrong for her to moderate the debate but it certainly looks bad. Her credibility will no doubt be damaged. However, this little controversy is likely to drive up ratings for the debate even further as viewers will be curious to see how she handles the questioning of the two candidates.

Regardless of the actual outcome of the debate, the media will declare Joe Biden the winner as they are making no secret of the fact they are in the tank for Senator Barack Obama. They did their best to declare Senator Obama the winner of the first debate even though it was clear to just about anyone who watched the entire thing that Senator McCain had the better night.

While I don't expect the debate tonight to make that much of a difference in the outcome of the election the two candidates' performance will say something about the men who selected them as their running mates. As it should.

Yes, the Cubs Can Win It All

Sure, they didn't get off to a great start tonight in the NLDS against the Dodgers, but the Cubs can still win it all. Here are five reasons why it can happen.

Book Review: Kingom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn by Ridley Pearson

Ridley Pearson has long been considered one of the best thriller writers working today. But a few years ago after his successful venture in writing young adult fiction with his good friend Dave Barry (Peter and the Starcatchers) he wrote a novel about five kids who had to work together to save Walt Disney World from being overrun by villianous forces. The result was the wildly successful Kingdom Keepers: Disney After Dark. Naturally, there were questions from fans whether there would be another book. The result is Kingom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn which in some ways is even better than the first installment in the series.

As with the first novel, Kingom Keepers II revolves around five teenagers who have been selected to be Disney Host Interactives or DHIs for short which are holographic images that act as tour guides throughout the park. At the end of the first novel, the DHI system had to be taken down because of flaws that were exploited by the evil group referred to as the Overtakers who are plotting to take over the park. As this book opens, the DHI system is back on line and a huge celebration is being held in the park that includes the DHIs human models. But things go terribly wrong and the race is on again to find out what the Overtakers are up to and to stop it before it's too late.

The kids are also assisted by Wayne, an older Cast Member (the title used for all Disney employees) who guides them and provides valuable assistance along the way. Ironically, the character is based on an actual cast member that Mr. Pearson met during an early research trip to the Magic Kingdom.

Like the first book, Mr. Pearson takes us behind the scenes of the Disney magic. In the first book, he went behind the scenes of the Magic Kingdom while this time the story takes place principally inside the Animal Kingdom. Mr. Pearson has again paid great attention to detail and as you read his descriptions of the various scenes you can easily visualize yourself inside the parks.

Mr. Pearson should also be credited for being able to take the skills that he has honed as a writer of adult thrillers and easily make the transition to writing young adult novels. Dave Barry has joked that in their partnership on the Starcatchers novels that Mr. Pearson is the "plot guy" and it definitely shows. In fact, it wasn't until I was about 10 pages from the end of the book that I realized that he intended for the story to continue into another book.

It's also clear that he never forgets who his audience is throughout the book. Several times in the book, one of the teenagers, Maybeck, had a habit of using profanity whenever he would become frustrated or angry. Rather than taking the easy way out by allowing that to be part of the dialogue, Mr. Pearson decided to handle those situations with deft humor. By doing so, he reminds the reader that while his novel is targeted towards young adults, he recognizes that this is ultimately a book series that the entire family can enjoy together. I applaud Mr. Pearson for respecting his audience enough to make such choices. In fact, our family chose to read the book aloud (as we have done with many other books). It's refreshing to have a fun, exciting novel that we can read together without having to worry about whether there will be any inappropriate content included that could spoil our enjoyment of the story.

To Disney's credit, they granted Mr. Pearson unprecedented access to the backstage areas of the parks. Mr. Pearson said in a recent e-mail interview that this was part of his agreement in writing this series and they have cooperated fully with his request. That is to the company's credit as that access allowed Mr. Pearson to create a more believable setting for what would otherwise be considered standard science-fiction fare.

Kingdom Keepers II: Disney at Dawn is a terrific follow-up to the first installment to the series. Mr. Pearson, through meticulous research of the Disney parks, has created a wonderful world full of exciting and intriguing characters. These novels are a unique blend of science-fiction and fantasy that few other authors could achieve. When we reached the conclusion of this book, we were sorry to reach the end but glad that there would be another volume coming. If you haven't yet immersed yourself in the world of the Kingdom Keepers you really should. You will be glad that you did.


This article originally appeared at Blogcritics.

The Dynamics of Virginia

During this election cycle, much has been made of the possibility that Virginia could turn blue in November. But Senator Obama's success in the state will likely depend on how well he can do in Southwest Virginia. A fascinating piece in The New Yorker examines the challenges he'll face in this part of the state.

Although the New Yorker piece suggests Obama might have a pretty solid chance at winning here Jim Geraghty's analysis seems to be far more realistic. Senator Obama is farther to the left philisophically than Mark Warner or Jim Webb and is going to have a harder time making significant inroads here.

One other thing to note here: although polls show Obama ahead here (Rassmussen has him up by 3 points today), the state is politically diverse and support for each of the candidates runs stronger in different parts of the state. Most internals to polls will talk about party affiiliation, gender, race, and other demographic factors. But to really determine whether a poll here is accurate you need to know where the respondents live.

When election day rolls around, don't be surprised if Virginia becomes the state that ultimately determines the outcome of the election. It may go either way but it's not as much of a lock for Democrats as they would like to make it out to be.

Baseball Quote of the Week

Basketball, hockey and track meets are action heaped upon action, climax upon climax, until the onlooker's responses become deadened. Baseball is for the leisurely afternoons of summer and for the unchanging dreams.

~ Roger Kahn

The First Debate

Now that the first presidential debate is over, the question that everyone is asking is who won?
Each side will, of course, claim victory. But pundits (and probably voters, too) go into these things looking for a clear victor.

One of the cardinal rules of debates is to not say anything that will come back as a sound bite that can be used against you later. While there weren't any major verbal gaffes, the McCain campaign didn't waste any time making an ad from one of Senator Obama's minor gaffes. The speed with which that ad appeared is just further testimony of how media saavy McCain's campaign really is.

My impression is that Senator Obama started strong when the questions were more focused on the economy and gradually got weaker as the shift moved to foreign affairs. Senaor McCain, on the other hand, started out weaker and got better as the night wore on.

Although the pre-debate coverage indicated that Senator Obama would try to get under Senator McCain's skin it seemed to me (especially when they went to split screen - I was watching it on Fox News) that Obama seemed more irritated, interrupted Senator McCain frequently, and would often try to get the last word in. These are all minor issues overall but seemed to make Senator Obama seem smaller and consequently less presidential.

There's no question these two candidates are extremely intelligent and both performed well under pressure. No major mistakes were made. But at the end of the day I think Senator McCain still has an edge in terms of having the character and experience necessary to be President. It remains to be seen whether voters will draw the same conclusion.

Interview: Kevin McCullough, Author of The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be

The Kind of Man Every Man Should Be: Taking a Stand for True Masculinity By Kevin McCullough / Harvest House Publishers * From radio commentator, syndicated columnist, and MuscleHead Revolution author comes a bold message for 21st-century men! McCullough probes the undermining of manhood over recent decades and speculates why both sexes are reluctant to address the problem. Citing God's blueprint in Scripture, he challenges Christian men to behave with dignity, act with clarity, and lead with conviction! 224 pages, softcover from Harvest.

This morning I had the opportunity to chat with Kevin McCullough. His book is a wake up call to men (and women) everywhere that it's time for men to start living the way that God has designed them. It's both a very personal and immensely practical book and one that I heartily recommend to everyone. I'll have a more complete review here soon.

Click this link to hear the interview.

The Problem and The Solution

The looming financial crisis has been all over the headlines this week and presidential politics has inevitably been tied to it. But much of the coverage is confusing and the myriad of problems that have led to the current crisis can be confusing. Mark Alexander's essay today on the crisis is a good primer on how we got to where we are and what some of the options that are available.

Equally worth consideration is this column from Daniel Henniger in the Wall Street Journal. He argues that what we need is a return to old-time values.

Yes, the need is great. But the worst thing that government could do is rush to fix the problem. I'd rather see lawmakers take their time and get the solution right. Otherwise it could turn out to be like many government "solutions" which become bigger problems that the original problems they are designed to fix.

Baseball Quote of the Week

Baseball is a game where a curve is an optical illusion, a screwball can be a pitch or a person, stealing is legal and you can spit anywhere you like except in the umpire's eye or on the ball.

- Jim Murray, American Sportswriter and Pulitzer Prize winner

Cubs Win! Cubs Win! Cubs Win!

The Chicago Cubs clinched the NL Central Division title today which is their second consecutive title.

Now on to the playoffs to try to break the 100 year championship drought.

The Audacity of Barack Obama

When Senator Barack Obama was on his European tour earlier this summer it appeared that in his meetings with various foreign leaders he was behaving as if he had already been elected President. If a report that appeared in today's New York Post is accurate, he was acting as if he was already President:

While campaigning in public for a speedy withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Sen. Barack Obama has tried in private to persuade Iraqi leaders to delay an agreement on a draw-down of the American military presence.

According to Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, Obama made his demand for delay a key theme of his discussions with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad in July.

"He asked why we were not prepared to delay an agreement until after the US elections and the formation of a new administration in Washington," Zebari said in an interview.

Obama insisted that Congress should be involved in negotiations on the status of US troops - and that it was in the interests of both sides not to have an agreement negotiated by the Bush administration in its "state of weakness and political confusion."

Granted, this is an opinion piece and there is debate over whether the allegations made by the column's author, Amir Taheri, is true. The McCain campaign argues, correctly, that if the allegations are true, Senator Obama's conduct is inexcusable. The Obama campaign reflexively characterizes the column as the equivalent of another smear before denying the allegations made in the column.

From a strict legal perspective, if Senator Obama conducted himself as Mr. Taheri reports, has broken the law. The Logan Act prohibits citizens from negotiating with foreign governments without the specific authority of the United States Government:

Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

This section shall not abridge the right of a citizen to apply, himself or his agent, to any foreign government or the agents thereof for redress of any injury which he may have sustained from such government or any of its agents or subjects.

Practically speaking, there are very few instances where an individual has been prosecuted for violating this Act. In today's highly politicized culture it would be extremely difficult to pursue such a case. Frankly, while Senator Obama's actions, if true, are appalling, I don't think they would warrant prosecution.

But this incident, if true, is another in a long list of instances of Senator Obama's incredibly poor judgement. The question that voters face is given the Senator's track record, can we trust him to exercise proper judgement once in the White House?

I don't think so.

Now, That's What I Call A Comeback

After spending 11 days resting a rumored injured arm, Chicago Cubs ace pitcher came back and threw a no-hitter against the Astros last night. Zambrano reportedly said after the game "I guess I'm back".

I guess so. Just in time, too.

UPDATE: Well, not to be outdone, fellow Cubs pitcher Ted Lilly took his own no-hit bid into the 7th inning today against the Astros.

Looks like that unexpected layoff due to Hurricane Ike has helped the Cubs.

By the way, the last time there were back-to-back no-hitters was in 1968. Gaylord Perry of the San Francisco Giants no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals on September 17, 1968. Ray Washburn of the Cardinals returned the favor the next day by no-hitting the Giants.

The last time teammates accomplished the consecutive no-hitter feat? You have to go all the way back to 1917 When Ernie Koob and Bob Groom hurled consecutive no-hitters for the St. Louis Browns against the Chicago White Sox on May 5 and May 6, 1917 respectively.

Here's a complete list of no-hitters in Major League Baseball history.

Baseball Quote of the Week

I was such a dangerous hitter I even got intentional walks in batting practice.

~ Casey Stengel

Quick Takes - 9-12-08

Some random thoughts for the weekend. Sorry to make it mostly political but that's the kind of week it has been.

It's not secret that MSNBC is basically the cable news home of the Angry Left. But apparently the management is beginning to get the clue as they remove their leading shouters, Chris Matthews and Keith Olbermann as anchors from their election coverage. Instead, they'll be analysts which I guess is where they should have been all along. Then again, it appears the network is doubling down on being the official news network of the Left by adding Air America talker Rachel Maddow to the lineup. Maybe the network couldn't find any conservative voices to join the sinking ship.

Sometimes the foreign press has keen insights into American politics. Case in point.

More great analysis from across the pond: Underestimate Governor Sarah Palin at your own peril.

Still more: Governor Palin is not so small town after all.

Somehow I don't think it would be wise for Senator Obama to bring up earmarks.

Comparing Senator Obama to former Enron CEO Ken Lay. An very interesting comparison.

Then again, maybe Senator Obama's biggest problem is his pride. (Via Hot Air)

I have one question for Joe Biden: What were you thinking?

Congress is back in session but apparently in no hurry to deal with our pressing energy issues or anything else important. Just a side note, that post's author, Mrs. Michelle Bachman, is a mother of five who also happens to be a Representative from Minnesota.

Something lighter: dressing domestic rodents in Bavarian attire. Oh the scandal!

This gets me thinking about the congressional races and what the effects will be downstream if Senator McCain and Governor Palin manage to pull out a big win. Could it be possible that the Democrats will actually lose seats instead of making the big gains that were originally predicted?

Why I am not surprised? The man who developed Astroturfing is Senator Obama's campaign manager. Anyone starting to see a pattern?

Unreal. Absolutely unreal.

News in one of the oldest espionage cases in American history. And an interesting take from Glenn Reynolds.

One of the reasons we homeschool our kids is so that we don't have to deal with garbage like this.
Oops. The headline on the original post makes it even funnier.

There's a reason that actors should stick to acting.

Abortion and Down Syndrome. An interesting observation on eugenics.

The end of the Associated Press? Could be.

Have a great weekend.

9/11 - A Personal Reflection

Author's note: I originally wrote this post on the five-year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It's still worth recounting the story today.

I will never forget 9/11. No matter how hard I try, I can't block out the memories of that day. They will be forever burned in my memory.I was supposed to be attending a meeting in Bala Cynwyd (just outside of Philadelphia) on 9/11. My wife and two daughters (ages 4 and 5) went up a few days early to explore the Amish country as well as downtown Philadelphia. We had had a great time visiting an area that we had never visited before. But that Tuesday morning everything would change - in ways far greater than we could have ever imagined.

The day started normally enough. My meeting was supposed to start at 9:00 so I headed downstairs to the hotel restaurant early to eat breakfast. My wife and daughters were a little later getting ready. Our meeting started on time and was underway for about an hour before taking our first break of the morning. Many of the folks in this meeting were from New York. While we were on the break, several guys tried to call the office but couldn't get through. One of them finally decided to call the operator and see what was wrong with the telephone lines. He would be the first one to share the news with us: the World Trade Center had been hit. Another person came in and said it was the Pentagon. It would be a few minutes before we realized that it was both.By the time we managed to get a TV brought into the conference room we were able to see the replay of the South tower being hit. Moments later it collapsed. It took all of us only a split second to decide we needed to go home. The fourth airliner, United flight 93, would crash in Western Pennsylvania within the next few minutes.

My wife had taken the kids next door to Denny's to eat breakfast. A waitress told her that the Pentagon had been hit. Her sister's husband often worked at the Pentagon. Was he there? Frantically, she was calling her unable to get through. It would be much, much later before we found out he wasn't there and was completely safe. My wife came back to the hotel not knowing how to find me. At the time, I didn't carry a cellphone (I have ever since). She was in the lobby trying to call her sister when I finally came upstairs. I looked at her and said "We're going home". At the time we lived in Richmond, VA, almost directly due south along Interstate 95 from Philadelphia. Under normal circumstances, it would have taken about five hours to drive home. But Washington, DC is directly on Interstate 95. Due to the attack at the Pentagon, Washington was completely locked down. Our only choice was to head west and then south in a long circle along interstates through Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virgina. It was a long drive home.

As we were leaving the hotel we turned on the local news on our radio. The mayor of Philadelphia was holding a press conference announcing the evacuation of the city. Everyone was being ordered home since at that time we didn't know where the hijackers intended to fly United 93. It was reasonable to assume that Philadelphia was a target. One thing was clear: we were at war. We weren't sure yet who was responsible but we knew we had been attacked. The peaceful setting of Lancaster County was strangely appealing. Surely whoever this was wouldn't attack the Amish. We would be safe there, wouldn't we? As we drove on there was this eerie feeling of not knowing what to expect next. Would there be further attacks? Who was responsible? Why had they attacked us? Our daughters tahnkfully were oblivious to what was happening. At least until the announcement was made that Walt Disney World had closed (we had made our first visit as a family the previous year). Then it registered with them that something was wrong.

Everywhere we stopped along the way home people seemed to be trying to carry on with life as normal even though they all knew that life would never be normal again. Everything had changed. By late afternoon we had made it to Harrisonburg, VA (about 3 1/2 hours from home). At first we thought we would just find a hotel room and spend the night but there were none to be found. Greyhound had ordered all their buses to stop wherever they were and as a result people had to find hotel rooms. Everything was closing down: restaurants, stores, shopping malls were all closed. We managed to find a gas station that was still open. When I went in to pay there was the extra edition of the local paper with the photo of the burning towers above the fold. This was not just a bad dream. This was real.

As we left Harrisonburg and headed towards home I can remember the eerie sight of a single jet plane crossing the sky. I knew it was a military plane since all civilian aircraft had been grounded much earlier in the day. This is what it felt like to be at war.

We eventually made it home safely that evening. But we knew that everything had changed. A couple days later we got another grim reminder of just how serious things were.

Where we lived, we never saw military traffic. But around 9:00 one evening just a few days after the attacks we were buzzed twice in the span of a couple of minutes by a pair of F-14 fighter jets. It was yet another reminder that we were truly at war. There would be other reminders, as well. I went to Las Vegas for a meeting a couple of months later (a meeting that was originally supposed to take place the week after 9/11). The sight of armed soldiers patrolling the airport was a clear sign that things had changed. While I was in Las Vegas I stayed at the New York, New York Hotel and Casino. As the name suggests, the hotel is supposed to remind one of the New York skyline. Even three months after 9/11, there was a memorial of flowers, posters, and messages of support for the police, firefighters, and people of New York City. I couldn't help but be struck by the sight.

Driving by the Pentagon several months after 9/11 and getting to see firsthand the devastation caused by the terrorists would be yet another grim reminder of the war we had been dragged into by our attackers. I can't forget no matter how hard I try. We should never forget for this is why we fight.