9/11/2001 IN CONTEXT of 9/11/2020 (published 9/13/2020)

9/11/2001

It was a Tuesday. I was a second shift computer operator and help desk agent. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman was, and still is, a teacher (but add vice principal now). We had returned from our five years of mission work in Russia, on 9/30/1999. Mom had become ill on 12/28/1999. She had gone “to see Jesus,” on 12/27/2000.

My wife was already at work. I was still in bed, in our still temporary apartment, on the ridge behind the (used to be) Knox Center Mall. I was awake but not yet out of bed. Dad called me. Dad’s call is how I found out about what had happened minutes before. The day unfolded. I went to work, as usual. No one felt like working. We worked. We also focused on the news. We talked to each other. We vented. We prayed. We cursed. We promised justice. I am either glad or not glad that Mom had already gone Home, on 12/27/2000. At least she wasn’t here to know that details.

That was 9/11/2001. Charlie Daniels, who went Home earlier this year, and his band encapsulated the spirit of this nation, by the song "In America." (Y’all enjoy the music.) In 2003, I went to “work” daily, by doing most of the inside trim (i.e., sanding, calking, painting, etc.) for our current home, from about 9 AM to about 2 PM. My portable radio played “In America” often back then. The song increased my strength, as I worked on our home. (We paid no one to do the inside trim. We paid ourselves. We did it. I did most of it.) I then went to my 3:30 PM to 11:30 PM second shift job. We, as a nation, stood tall. We had one of our finer moments as a nation. There was no division. We were one nation. We stood together. We had complete determination to see justice served.

9/11/2020

Nineteen years later, justice has been served mostly. Why are we still in Afghanistan? Why are we still bothering with Iraq? This once great nation, with allies, beat the World War II enemies (who are friends now) in less than four years! Doesn’t any leadership in this once great nation know how to declare a proper war and win a proper war relatively quickly? Obviously, it does not.

9/11/2020, Friday, was a workday at home for me. Mrs. Appalachian Irishman had a work day at school. The TV and radio had some good tributes to 9/11/2001. We remembered. I assume that most folks, who were old enough to remember, did.

On 9/11/2020, I’m still wondered why my employer can’t get its head out of its rear end long enough to set me up (and many others) to work from home fulltime. My employer promised this would be the case, effective 9/1/2020. I knew that the incompetent lie would unfold. Now, my employer speculates to set me up (and many others) to work from home, effective 10/1/2020. It had better happen; otherwise, I will retire from my employment, to find a better job that allows me to work from home. (My “bionic” joints are tired of doing the same job at home or at the office, based on an ever-evolving schedule.)

On 9/11/2020, I remembered every detail of 9/11/2001. I recalled the primary details of life, from 9/11/2001 to 9/11/2020. One recollection: Dad joined Mom at Home, on 1/25/2008. My articles over the years have more details.

Well, life goes on, such as it is.

9/13/2020, Sunday

I am writing this article for publication on my website today. My calendar tells me that today is grandparents’ day. That’s a new one. How long has this one been around? Well, my grandparents, Marion and Gertrude Ferrell and Aby and Lula Wood, were wonderful grandparents. They are Home. I will see them again.

I am wondering why I woke up with a sore right shoulder. My left shoulder has the surgically installed metal. My right knee and right foot have the surgically installed metal. Why does my right shoulder hurt?

I speculate that I am going a little backward, to go forward again. I’ve done it many times, since 3/29/2016. In the last week or so, I have been taking steps without noticing much difference. My right footstep feels almost like my left footstep. Of course, my right foot has “talked to me” (i.e., sent me pain notices), from my big toe, through my arch, and into the left side of my heel. The “conversation” has ricocheted into my right calf, right shin, right knee, etc.

At least tomorrow, 9/14/2020, Mrs. Appalachian Irishman and I have our usual, approximately every four-week, chiropractic appointments. I think I can endure a work-at-home day tomorrow. Our chiropractor should enjoy my most recent statement (as mentioned previously), about my current “whatevers” (as I call them). I will get my first hike of this season soon – but not today.

By the way, I work at home 9/14-15/2020 then at office 9/16-18/2020. Why? My job will see me retire, effective 10/1/2020, if my employer can’t get its head out of its rear end! I apologize for the crude way of stating that. Crudeness, unfortunately, has become the “new norm,” apparently. Dad, whose birthday anniversary would have been on 9/17/2020, would understand!

Well, I’ll “see” y’all again. Remember, if you comment, comments come to me by e-mail first, to review then post. There is no instant gratification here, but here is better than “Farcebook!” My readership count indicates that I am catching up to “Farcebook!” I will overtake them in time!

Okay, that’s a bit of Irish bragging! Still, I’m glad that you are reading! May the Good Lord bless! I’m off to see if I can’t continue to unkink my right shoulder. Writing this article helped. Thank y’all for reading!