Vol. 65, September 12th, 2023 Published a Day Early Online
Remembering Well
On September 11th
How do we properly honor? How do we remember well?
I don’t know.
I’ve collected a few thoughts for you on the next page about ordinary people, everyday heroes, and questions about what to do. I wonder how appreciation and gratitude fit into the equation. (They must, somehow, right?)
We’re here, today, lucky enough to see the gentle sky and the faces of our friends. What do we do with that? I’m trying to notice.
Sunday found me on the road for business. The morning rain left the fields refreshed as I headed back home, westbound. The sun sank low, casting great beams of light through puffy clouds, golden bunches of Tickseed Sunflower answering back with upturned faces from the ditches and fence-lines. Tiny towns hunkered down for the evening, quiet, peaceful. Three brothers sat on a log in a front yard, talking.
The Sunday road feels different, eternal somehow. I rolled onward, west, racing the light. There’s much to do. But first, a thank you for the day. It seems like a good start.
Never Forget
Everyday heroes hoist the flag at Ground Zero. Long may she wave.
Quote of the Week
“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.” –Thomas Paine
Happy Birthday “Bonanza” (9/12/59)
Running for 14 seasons and 431 episodes, it’s the second-longest-running western (beaten by Gunsmoke), and continues to air reruns.
Down the Rabbit Hole
If you’re looking for history to fascinate and inform, dig up the French Revolution. You’ll find modern parallels, lessons learned the hard way, and some darn good literature. Speaking of good lit…
Book of the Week
“If I Ran The Circus” (Dr. Seuss)
I checked it out of the library to read to the neighbor kids. The literary and artistic genius of the good Dr. bowled me over. Time to revisit him. Serious times can benefit from a smile.
Write to Us!
The Nighthawk is a new old-fashioned way to connect, published weekly. You’re invited to write back, or just enjoy reading. Let’s have some fun! It’s a social paper! Send stories, etc to: PO Box 783, Rustburg, VA 24588 or JoshUrban@Protonmail.com
Letters from Josh
(A weekly update from Josh Urban’s adventures on the farm and in the city. #151)
Late Night Radio–Everyday + Heroes
For this week’s edition of the Altavista Journal, etc.
Howdy, folks, and welcome back to the show! September 11th, 22 years later finds us in a weird place. There’s politics, geopolitics, and all sorts of stuff above my pay grade. But, even I’m noticing something on the breeze.
Have you heard of Oliver Anthony? He’s a regular guy out in Farmville, working too hard, squeezed by the times, who happens to play a little guitar and sing like Hank Williams. His tune “Rich Men North of Richmond” took the world by a storm. It’s topping the charts, beating the plastic tears of the pop stars whining about broken hearts. He’s captured something, and belted it out, the voice of Now. The truth is funny like that. Once it shows up, it can’t be ignored, no matter how many “experts” tell us why we’re wrong. His song is stuck in my head. Well, the idea of truth is. And the power of ordinary people. It won’t leave me alone.
As September 11th rolls around this year, doesn’t it feel like something should be done? The National Day of Service is a beautiful gesture. But what steps do we take after we lift our bowed heads? Where do we go with the memory, honor, and grief?
I’m not sure. I’m curious about the hometown folks, the “people like me, and people like you” who keep the lights on, and the shelves stocked. I’m intrigued with the Everyday. History books tell big stories, what presidents and generals said. Few talk about the little guys. What difference could we possibly make? I think it’s more than we’d realize. (Or want.)
As that sunny, tragic day back in 2001 drew to a close, in shock, I tried to do something normal. I dragged a telescope outside to look at the night sky. It was eerily empty of planes. The stars seemed to twinkle with an echoing sadness. Life felt surreal. Panic set in across the world. The Everyday was gone for a while.
Years later, another cloud passed in front of the sun. In the halls of the COVID-locked nursing homes across the nation, days turned into an altered reality. “Have a good weekend” sounded like a taunt to the residents stuck in their room for months. I stopped saying it. One resident in particular made a point of talking normal, of keeping the flame alive. “Leon” would ask how my car was running, get help with feeding the birds, tell stories of travel to Alaska and Thailand. God bless him. Leon taught me how precious an ordinary day is, and more than that: Maybe it’s the “everyday” people who do a big part to keep the world from exploding.
There are big things to do for a better tomorrow. But this year, as I re-read 12 Rules for Life (Jordan Peterson), listen to Oliver Anthony, and remember Leon, I’m borrowing their ideas, and taking a close look at the Everyday. There are so many chances there are to do good work, right in front of my nose. There’s a lot I haven’t done, but could. Maybe there’s something nearby that you could fix, too. Maybe you’re already doing it. If you are, I’d like to say..
“My fellow Americans: Thank you all for being the glue that holds the world together. Thank you for being the “Helpers” Mister Rogers talks about. Thank you for doing your part. Keep shining. It matters. I know that for sure.”
In Memoriam – Josh