Oklahoma – Retirementally Challenged

When we were planning our recent coast-to-coast road trip, we had some “must-sees” along the way and a few hard arrival dates that we needed to hit. Mostly, though, we drove for as long as we felt like it and stopped where it looked interesting. In reviewing the sketched-out itinerary that I put together before we left, it’s apparent that a lot of our “plans” were just “suggestions.”

Roswell, New Mexico

Our first of many unplanned stops was in Roswell, New Mexico. I didn’t know much about this city but, like probably many of you, I associated it with UFOs and aliens. With all the crazy conspiracy theories floating around today, the one surrounding an alleged UFO crash in 1947 and a subsequent military cover-up seems rather quant. (The googles has more information about the incident – that did or did not happen – if you care to go down that wormhole.)

Anyway, like any self-respecting business community, Roswell has fully embraced its unique distinction. While the extraterrestrial spacecraft and captured aliens may – or may not – have been just a figment of a wild imagination, little green men can be found everywhere on the streets of downtown Roswell.

This guy may have had a bit too many cosmo-politans.

Oklahoma City

A much darker reminder of the danger of unhinged conspiracy theories and disturbed thinking was found at our next stop.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum honors the victims, survivors, rescuers, and all who were affected by the domestic terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. On April 19, 1995, 168 people, including 19 children, lost their lives because of hate. The Memorial symbolizes the turning away from hate and towards finding strength and hope in a wake of unspeakable violence.

I had no idea how impactful the Memorial would be. Just the day before we arrived, there was a ceremony commemorating the 29^th anniversary of that terrible day. On the day we visited, the grounds were mostly deserted and peaceful, a place of quiet reflection.

At each end of the reflecting pond stands a large bronze-clad monument, the Gates of Time that, together, frame the moment of destruction. One, the 9:01 Gate, represents the moment before the attack. The other, the 9:03 Gate, symbolizes the moment healing began. Off to one side is the Field of Empty Chairs. Each of the 168 chairs is engraved with a victim’s name, underlining the magnitude of the loss.

Looking towards the 9:01 Gate. Note the Field of Chairs to the right.

All of the chairs had been decorated the day before for the ceremony. The chairs of the 19 children killed were especially heartbreaking.

We first visited the Memorial in the daylight. On the advice of a security guard, we returned that evening to see the displays beautifully illuminated.

I’ll end this post with the words engraved on each Gate. They are a reminder that violence arising from hate never solved anything. It’s up to all of us to choose the path we want to take going forward: