Oklahoma City

I am trying to rid myself of the blog block that's been plaguing me for several weeks.  I've loaded photos for future posts as we leave an area so I, hopefully, won't forget what I wanted to post about when I finally sit myself down and get to work.  This will be my third post today, the last one, which included Groom, Texas had some tongue in cheek content.  This post however won't .... the pictures will, I suspect, speak for themselves.

When we were heading to Oklahoma we knew we wanted to go to Oklahoma City ~ after all that is where Patrick (Rick's son) went to FAA school after he graduated from Daniel Webster and was hired by the FAA to be an air traffic controller, so of course we had to go there. 

When in Oklahoma City it seemed we had to see the Oklahoma City National Memorial.  There is also a museum there.  I was fairly perplexed with the thought of a museum to such an event and I was certain I didn't want to tour such a museum.  

After seeing what an extraordinary job was done at the Memorial I decided I'd go with Rick into the Museum.  I wasn't disappointed.  Photos were allowed in the Museum, but I'm not going to include any in this post .... in fact I'm not sure how I'm going to do this post .... mostly pictures?  Mostly text?  

The pictures themselves speak volumes, but some explanations may be necessary.  We shall see how this turns out ...

Clearly, the first photo is the Field of Empty Chairs.  It sets the tone for the entire Memorial as far as I'm concerned.  I assume that everyone knows that each chair symbolizes a life lost on April 19, 1995.  The chairs are arranged in nine rows (there were nine floors in the Murrah Federal Building) and the chairs are placed according to the floor on which those killed were working of visiting.  The chairs have a glass base (which are lit with "beacons of hope") and are etched with the name of a person killed that day.

There is a gorgeous, serene reflecting pool.  At each end of the reflecting pool are the "Gates of Time".  The gates have a time etched into them.  The gate at the east is marked 9:01 representing a typical morning and people were going about their business "normally".  The west gate is marked 9:03, the time it all changed.

The photo below is the "Survivor Tree" and the "Rescuers' Orchard" beyond the reflecting pool and with the Journal Record Building in the background.  

Below, another view of the Journal Record Building (which now houses the Museum), and a message written on the side of the building by a rescuer, which hopefully can be enlarged so one can read it.

The fire escapes on the Journal Record Building have been left as they were after the blast - twisted and broken.

a closer view of the Rescuer's Orchard

looking at the Field of Empty Chairs from the other side of the Reflecting Pool, standing next to the Journal Record Building.

Another that hopefully can be enlarged ~ a plague on the side of the Journal Record Building

Above is the "Children's Area" displaying many hand painted tiles made by children and sent to O.C. in 1995.

It was a beautiful fall day when we were there - seemed like a warm fall day in New England.

I'm glad I went, I'm glad I saw ... it was impossible to leave there feeling the same as when you went it to say the least.

I have never seen a Memorial OR Museum done as well as this - so much thought went into this property, so much symbolism.  It really was an outstanding, thought provoking place.  

www.OklahomaCityNationalMemorial.org

(I strongly recommend taking a look at this link - it is done as well as the entire Memorial and Museum)