As I Look To The Sky

By Dennis Waggoner

I live right in the middle of southern Indiana. We are very close to a large lake, border a National Wilderness area, and basically live in the boonies. We are also close to a large bombing range. We have A10's F16's, C130's AH-64D's and various other military transports and helos flying over. We are also below an east/west and north/south jetway intersection that sees a lot of high altitude traffic. We see many jetliners descending to approach into KIND. I look up and try to figure out what kind of planes they are. The 747's, 777's and the 767's are easy. The sound of the high bypass engines at or near idle is unmistakable and also very quiet. We also get a lot of private traffic overhead. People flying over Lake Monroe, over the Wilderness Area and National Forest.

I guess my point is that all this is absent right now. I look up at night and see no blinking lights anywhere. Normally on a dark clear weekend night if I chose to I could go out and count dozens of those blinking lights at a single time. Flying through the constellations of Scorpion, or Aquila. Or crossing the Milky Way overhead at high altitude sometimes losing them for a minute but them finding them in the maze of stars. Sometimes they are so high that I have to study them for a few seconds to see if they are planes or satellites. Then I see the blink and know what they are. There are hundreds of people on those little dots some sleeping, some eating the really good food, some watching a movie. A small community in itself speeding along at near the speed of sound oblivious to all but a few on the ground.

They are not there!

It's very scary how quiet it is here at dusk normally when there are dozens of small private planes. If I hear a jetliner overhead I run out and look up to see it. But now my feelings of wonder and awe of this small community speeding by are mixed with apprehension and concern. I've seen or heard only four planes since Tuesday flying overhead. Four! It makes my home a little lonelier knowing that the world has slowed down and is catching its breath.

This is how I know the country has changed. You couldn't get me on a plane right now unless it was a matter of life and death. It's just two distasteful and appalling. And unfortunately it's that way with FS2K. The fun has gone out of it. I want it to come back but it's not the same right now. We need a flight simulator that allows me to bomb the terrorists. Now that would be fun.

There is really no great point to this rambling except to say that even here in the middle of the USA one person's life has changed, his thoughts and mood have changed. Even though I knew no one on board the planes that were destroyed or people on the ground that were killed. I have changed and just like everybody else I am scared and hurt. As a person born after the Second World War I never understood in my heart what united America so profoundly as to make them send their sons to die overseas. As a history buff I know what a time of unity and devotion that was and I now have a better understanding of that time.

I am so proud to be an American. I have never been so proud.

Dennis Waggoner
sbdwag@voyager.net

Discuss This in our Outer Marker (Feedback) Forum.

[ Back | Main Menu | Logout | Help ]