I don’t think I need to remind anyone what today is. Nor do I need to ask if you remember where you were, what you were doing, etc. I have three such days in my life. November 22, 1963. April 19, 1995. And September 11, 2001.

I was a kid in ’63 and while the idea of a presidential assassination was enormous, I think the fact it happened almost in my backyard, in a city my family visited often, where relatives lived, is what really hit home.

In ’95, I was there 31 minutes after the truck bomb went off. Cars were burning in the parking lot across the street, dust and bits of paper and debris filled the air. I close my eyes and remember–the odors, the sounds, the sights. I did my job. And it still haunts me.

In ’01, I learned men I’d worked with in ’95 went into the towers and never came out. Our best man was at the Pentagon that day. He came out alive.

During a Facebook conversation with a friend who shares PTSD with me, she mentioned shutting out media reports and just trying to get through the day. I offered her a book to read and in doing so, I realized that we can remember but still…live normal. So that’s what I’m doing today. I’m going to live my life like it was any other day. While we were all profoundly changed on this day twelve years ago, the most lasting memorial, in my opinion, we can offer is to live each day to it’s fullest.

So…there’s been some additions to this site. Check out the Penumbra Papers link up there on the menu bar. THAT OL’ BLACK MAGIC is available in all formats from Amazon and Smashwords. You can find the links on its page. Eventually, you’ll be able to buy it directly on B&N, iTunes, and a few other places, too. I’ll market tomorrow. Today, I’m going to enjoy my freedoms and my life and hope all of you do the same. Peace.