Oklahoma Sadness

Today, tragedy struck the city of Moore, Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City. A massive tornado ripped through the city and destroyed homes, a hospital, two schools, a movie theater and other buildings. School children are missing and fifty-one people are confirmed dead so far. My heart goes out to them. I have family who live in the area. My stepmother is without power and her neighborhood is filled with debris, but she was lucky. The tornado touched down only a half mile from her house. A relative of mine has another relative who lost his house today. We’re still waiting to hear from a second-cousin who lives in the path of the tornado.

All of this reminds me of years ago when the Federal building in downtown Oklahoma City was blown up and many innocent people lost their lives. The whole city was in mourning. For months afterwards everyone drove with their headlights on even in broad daylight. It was a way of showing their mourning. I know, because I lived there then and I, too, drove with my headlights on.

I don’t know why I’m writing this other than to say I feel for the people of Oklahoma and hope they can recover quickly. I know they are resilient. I’m just sad that they are once again faced with devastation.

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View Comments (3)

James Garcia Jr says:

May 21, 2013 at 3:01 am

Thanks for sharing, Susan. It is terribly sad to hear the news and see the destruction. People think we're crazy to live in California, but the truth is that I can count the earthquakes I can recall on one hand in my 44 years here. I hope and pray that the number of survivors rises higher than the number of the dead...
So sad...

-Jimmy
David Erickson says:

May 21, 2013 at 5:25 am

A few years after the Murra Building bombing we were in Oklahoma for the OWFI convention and we made a point to see the memorial. I remember walking the grounds and seeing all those concrete chairs. A sadness I'd never felt before overwhlemed me, as if all those lost souls were reaching out, asking me to remember them. Though the Vietnam Memorial had be crying like a baby, what I felt in Oklahoma was quite different. Over 50,000 of my fellow veterans lost thier lives figting an unjust war, but the victims of Tmothy McVeigh were not at war. They were innocents struck down for no good reason. Your comments reminded me that nature can be such a cruel mistress, not caring whether its victims are innocent or not. Like Joplin, so many lost their lives doing what we do every day, just living and hoping tomorrow will be better than today.

Many of the survivors will wonder why them and not themselves, and that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. There is no answer. It's the luck of the draw. All we can do is pick up the pieces and live our lives in honor of those who are gone.
Susan Finlay says:

May 21, 2013 at 11:27 am

Thank you, James and David.