Oklahoma City

Another beautiful day. We haven’t had a bad weather day on this entire trip. The car again headed east through Oklahoma. Somewhere east of Oklahoma City the terrain became very similar to parts of Ohio. The trees went from evergreens to mostly deciduous and fall was just starting. The rolling, tree covered hills brought the horizon in to the usual ten miles, or so, we’re used to seeing in Ohio. At these lower elevations, the clouds appear way up there again. The familiar is comfortable but we miss the big sky and the low clouds.

Also east of Oklahoma City we visited a “Quilt Barn”. We explored it for some time. It was full of a variety of used books, paintings, nic nacs and, of course, quilts. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This was one of those home made businesses with the “barn” opposite the house with a complicated and interesting fountain between.

We wanted to visit the Oklahoma City bombing site and thought we might see some signs. Not so. As we were leaving the city, we jumped off the interstate and started to drive around the downtown area. The traffic was very light so we had no problems searching. After making several tight circles we thought we’d try asking. Two stops found two other visitors looking for the same thing. One of them had a general idea. With that info and Becky’s navigational skills we found it.

Our approach, we learned later, was the same made by the bomber. As we closed in on the block of the bombing, the street dead-ended into two large, closely spaced black walls. The walls are parallel and both with openings to allow people through. A similar pair of walls are at the other end of the block. The bomber would have continued down this street and would have stopped between the two pairs of walls. After going through the first pair of walls, a black rectangular pond replaces street in front of the building. After the first glance we realize that it’s not a pond at all but black tiles that are submersed under about an inch of water. The surface of the water is at the same level as the sidewalk and drains into a slot completely surrounding the tiles. It gives the appearance of a black, ice-covered road. The water loudly drains into the slot. It takes a bit to realize what we are seeing and hearing. Because of our silence, the moving water is louder than expected.

The reflecting pond road bounded by the pairs of walls. The time 9:01 is engraved in large numerals high on the wall we are facing. 9:03 is engraved similarly on the wall behind us. We are in what is called the corridor of time. The minute before and the minute after the detonation. The reflecting pool is in the moment of the detonation.

To our right is a grass rectangle where the building stood. Arranged on the grass are 168 bronze and stone chairs with a name of a victim engraved on each. The chairs represent the empty chairs at the dinner tables of the victim’s families. Nineteen of the chairs are smaller representing the children.

It is profoundly sad and humbling to be in this memorial.

Back outside the walls, is a chain-link fence. Visitors have attached all kinds of things to the fence—license plates, necklaces, pictures, written thoughts, artwork, etc. A picture and story of one of the victims is hanging here. This collage represents a collective, and overwhelming, sadness of all who have contributed.

It is said that the bomber never expressed remorse: (http://www.rickross.com/reference/mcveigh/mcveigh6.html)
and said that he did this to avenge Waco and Ruby Ridge. No matter how one feels about Waco and Ruby Ridge, how can anyone understand this vengeance? How sad and unjust that one misguided person could wreak so much damage and grief on others. And how sad that he would want to.

We continued on.

We’ll be staying Ozark, Arkansas tonight.