Twenty Years
Oklahoma City. April 19, 1995. 9:02 AM. 168 people killed, hundreds more injured, and thousands affected in one of the worst domestic terrorist attacks in history.
It's hard to believe that this Sunday marks 20 years since that moment. I wasn't even quite 5 years old at the time, and though I lived in Oklahoma, I didn't live near OKC. Obviously, there's not much I remember from that specific day. More than anything, I remember absorbing the feelings of those around me -- shock, sadness, anger. Even at that age, I think I realized that something terribly evil had happened.
Through the years, and especially each April, I have found myself researching the events of that day. Poring over news articles and videos. Searching for survivor accounts. Stumbling upon photos in disbelief. Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial. I've been engrossed in the story again this year. For me, and I would assume for most Oklahomans of my generation, the bombing can often seem like something in the faded past; yet, here in the details and in the remembrance, it becomes astonishingly, vividly real and present. There's something about that reality that makes me want to cling to it and wrestle with it rather than gloss over it and forget it.
The city has largely recovered. Oklahoma City is becoming a cool, trendy, thriving place to be, and the bombing is no longer the first thing you think of when you hear "OKC". Oklahomans are often quick to argue that this tragedy doesn't define us, but I have to disagree. I do think it defines us; I just don't think it's the only thing that defines us.
Oklahomans, especially those directly affected on that April morning, still carry around the hurt, the disbelief, and the devastation. It may fade over the years, but it still exists as a fundamental part of our history. However, those forces and emotions don't control us; rather, they propel us forward in hope. Oklahomans are strong. We are resilient. We are courageous. We are compassionate.
There are still a lot of negative stereotypes about Oklahoma that, as a native Oklahoman, I absolutely despise hearing. But, increasingly, there are many good things said in reference to our state. As a whole, our citizens possess many qualities that were made recognizable by the 1995 tragedy. I don't think that strength or resiliency or courage or compassion didn't exist in Oklahoma before the bombing; however, I do think that, as we were tried by this inexplicable tragedy, these attributes, largely out of necessity, rose to the surface and became essential, undeniable parts of our identity that didn't fade even as the memories began to.
So today, I take the time to reflect on the event that helped shape who I am without me even realizing it. I remember the parents, grandparents, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends lost. I remember the nineteen young children who were killed; nineteen children who would be my age today had their future not been snatched from them. I remember the courageous first responders and the horrors they encountered to save all they could. I remember the generosity of not only Oklahomans but of people all over the world. Most of all, I remember that evil is a very real thing in this world, but that through it all God is always good and is always present. I am incredibly proud and thankful to be an Oklahoman.
It's hard to believe that this Sunday marks 20 years since that moment. I wasn't even quite 5 years old at the time, and though I lived in Oklahoma, I didn't live near OKC. Obviously, there's not much I remember from that specific day. More than anything, I remember absorbing the feelings of those around me -- shock, sadness, anger. Even at that age, I think I realized that something terribly evil had happened.
Through the years, and especially each April, I have found myself researching the events of that day. Poring over news articles and videos. Searching for survivor accounts. Stumbling upon photos in disbelief. Visiting the Oklahoma City National Memorial. I've been engrossed in the story again this year. For me, and I would assume for most Oklahomans of my generation, the bombing can often seem like something in the faded past; yet, here in the details and in the remembrance, it becomes astonishingly, vividly real and present. There's something about that reality that makes me want to cling to it and wrestle with it rather than gloss over it and forget it.
The city has largely recovered. Oklahoma City is becoming a cool, trendy, thriving place to be, and the bombing is no longer the first thing you think of when you hear "OKC". Oklahomans are often quick to argue that this tragedy doesn't define us, but I have to disagree. I do think it defines us; I just don't think it's the only thing that defines us.
Oklahomans, especially those directly affected on that April morning, still carry around the hurt, the disbelief, and the devastation. It may fade over the years, but it still exists as a fundamental part of our history. However, those forces and emotions don't control us; rather, they propel us forward in hope. Oklahomans are strong. We are resilient. We are courageous. We are compassionate.
There are still a lot of negative stereotypes about Oklahoma that, as a native Oklahoman, I absolutely despise hearing. But, increasingly, there are many good things said in reference to our state. As a whole, our citizens possess many qualities that were made recognizable by the 1995 tragedy. I don't think that strength or resiliency or courage or compassion didn't exist in Oklahoma before the bombing; however, I do think that, as we were tried by this inexplicable tragedy, these attributes, largely out of necessity, rose to the surface and became essential, undeniable parts of our identity that didn't fade even as the memories began to.
So today, I take the time to reflect on the event that helped shape who I am without me even realizing it. I remember the parents, grandparents, husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends lost. I remember the nineteen young children who were killed; nineteen children who would be my age today had their future not been snatched from them. I remember the courageous first responders and the horrors they encountered to save all they could. I remember the generosity of not only Oklahomans but of people all over the world. Most of all, I remember that evil is a very real thing in this world, but that through it all God is always good and is always present. I am incredibly proud and thankful to be an Oklahoman.
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| Photo courtesy of Eric D. Brown via Flickr.com |
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