Twenty Years Ago. Twenty Years Later. #OkStandard

Twenty years ago.

I don't know that many of us can recall exactly what we were doing on any other given day 20 years ago. But, if you are an Oklahoman, you remember.

I was in Weatherford, OK. I was in my first semester of my senior year at SWOSU. I had just finished up my eight o'clock class and had a conference with my Grammar professor, yes I had Grammar at one time in my life. The conference was over my senior thesis, Communication in Management. The meeting did not take that long, I'm not sure why. I was back in my dorm room by 9:30, those of us students lucky to have any reception or cable on our TV's were glued to our sets, the students that didn't have TV's were glued to our sets. We were in awe. I don't know the stats, but probably a lot of students missed classes the remainder of the day as news filtered in. We were 70 miles west of the site. For those of us who didn't know someone in the Murrah building, we knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone. Several of us even had friends who had just graduated and had began their careers in downtown Oklahoma City.

It was a real awakening moment for a college senior, knowing that my life in the "real world" was getting ready to start and that such evil was out there. I still was very protected and naive. I remember driving back home to Wilson from Weatherford on the weekends through El Reno on I-40, knowing that was where Timothy McVeigh was, and seeing the sign "Warning Hitchhikers may be escaped Inmates".

I didn't and couldn't bring myself to visit the Oklahoma City Memorial until 10 years after the tragedy. It wasn't until even last year, 19 years later that I could take my own children.

April 19, 1995. A day we will never forget. A day we as individuals, a. state, a nation were changed forever. It was a day that began as any other for 168 victims of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

The Survivor Tree reflecting beautifully in the Reflecting Pool.

Miss K writing a chalk message in the Children's Area. 

Miss K  and B in front of the 9:01 Gate of Time. The minute before it all happened. The minute before innocence was taken.

The Journal Record Building is now the Oklahoma City National Museum. It was severely damaged in the bombing. 

                              

Twenty Years Later. 

As a parent I want to protect my children from the terrors and tragedies of this world. I can't. I can only guide them and arm them with God's continued promise of life eternal. I can also instill in them the Oklahoma Standard. 

On Easter Sunday, my guys came home from the OKC Thunder game sporting bracelets. These bracelets were marked with the Thunder logo and #OKStandard hashtag and the Oklahoma Standard values of service, honor and kindness. WOW!! I must have been living in a bubble because this was the first I had heard about this. Fans were challenged to join the Oklahoma Standard campaign by committing to one act of service, one act of kindness and one act of honor during the month of April. Individuals, groups and businesses can sign up and learn more at OKStandard.org.

I love my state. I love this campaign. I love service, kindness and honor!! What great concepts to instill now and for generations to come.