Connie Vaughn

View from the Chair

Reflections...

Wow! These have been some busy, crazy, and rewarding times. As many of you are aware my move to Folsom, California (the Sacramento area) is complete. “Move” really is a four-letter word!

I was in the Bay Area yesterday and I left at dusk. Driving up 680, there is a point at about Milpitas / Fremont where you have an overview of the Bay and the Coastal Mountains. It was clear and the sky was the colors of sunset. Pale pinks, oranges, and blues reflecting off the water brought a tear to my eye. The Bay Area is a beautiful place to live. I thanked God for letting me see the beauty. All Californians are truly blessed to live here AND to be part of this great country.

My children can grow up to be anything they want to be. We can work hard and always have a better life. That isn’t the case in most of the World. Being an American does not mean that we never know hardship. Life is hard. But only in the U.S. can you decide what your future holds. You can have a dream, work toward it, and succeed or fail, know that there are more opportunities, more dreams to be achieved. Only here can you wake up one morning and change your life direction, though friends and family may think you are nuts, the Government, as long as you are not breaking laws, won’t put you in jail or bring charges against you or take away your home or punish your family. Even if you choose to do nothing, this is a country where that is your choice.

The one-year anniversary of 9-11 came and went. No one needs to add the year. This date is burned in our memory and psyche forever. I was scared. America had been attacked in my lifetime! Something I naively thought could never happen. I used to think, hope?, that my children would never know war, but that does not look to be the case. God willing, our freedoms, our liberties, and our way of life will prevail regardless of when (I no longer believe it is “if”) we are pulled into full-blown Military actions with Iraq.

I was in Philadelphia on the anniversary of 9-11. A few of the chapter members had breakfast together and then we went as a group to the General Session to hear General McCaffrey speak. I expected to be moved, what I didn’t expect was a beautiful, heart-felt memorial for our fellow ASIS members lost at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. I cried, and I am not ashamed to say it was not the first time that day.

You see I did something the morning of 9-11 that I forget to do more often than I remember to do. I dropped to my knees and prayed to God. I thanked God for all my blessings and I asked God to help those who had lost loved ones get through this day.

The anniversary of the loss of a loved one is always difficult. Some say the pain lessens with time, but I don’t think that is true. I think the pain just changes or becomes a little easier to deal with. Imagine losing a loved one on a day when all Americans grieve with you. For some who lost, that may be even more painful, for others a comfort.

My heart goes out to all. God Bless America.

Humbly,
Connie Vaughn
chair@sfasis.org
SFBAC ASIS Chapter Chair