Getting Over It

This column was supposed to be about the Homecoming football game. However, after the tragic events of Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Homecoming football game should be the last thing on everyone’s mind.

The sheer horribleness of what occurred has raised questions of how America as well as MHS will ever get back to normalcy and if we will ever get over this. It’s apparent to me, though, that Americans and MHS students have too much to live for to be kept down for long.

We’ll get over this tragedy doing the things we love. We’ll play catch in the backyard with dad. We’ll watch football on Sunday in front of the TV with 4 buddies, eating pizza and drinking coke. We’ll continue fighting back the fluttering in our stomachs and searching for the confidence to put our arm around our date during the weekend matinee.

It won’t be easy to put this tragedy behind us but hitting the perfect drive on a par five and chipping in for eagle might help. After that we can brag about the shot over a delicious clubhouse cheeseburger, which is certainly better than talking about tragedy.

Sure it may take awhile for sports to seem like they matter, but we probably still won’t be able to help but get butterflies watching Mark McGwire step to the plate. And when he sends one to the upper-deck it may not seem the same as before, but the jubilation will be impossible to resist.

It doesn’t matter what these terrorists try to do, catching an eight-pound fish on a camping trip is still going to feel ultimately satisfying. As will sliding extra hard into second base at the company softball game.

Terror won’t be able to kill the gleam in our eyes as we describe our game winning grand slam we hit in little league. Nor will it make Steve Yzerman’s no-look-behind-the-back pass to Brendan Shanahan for the one timer goal seem any less incredible.

America will keep living for the wiffleball game in the backyard and the 2-on-2-basketball game in the driveway and the bar-be-cue that follows.

This is going to be tough, but cheering Marshall Faulk as he cuts through the defensive line will help us escape our fear. As will watching Randy Moss leap clear over three defenders to catch a deep pass.

This tragedy will make it hard to enjoy some things in life, but playing football with family in the backyard before coming in to eat the holiday turkey on Thanksgiving will still seem like nirvana.

They tried to stop our way of life, but they will fail. We will still get up on New Years Day after only a few hours of sleep just to watch the Rose Bowl. And holding a Budweiser in one hand and a hot dog in the other while watching the Cards play the Cubs at Busch Stadium will still seem like heaven.

We will get over 9/11 by taking down the guys number who just gave a hip check, and then get our revenge.

America will overcome; we have too much to live for.