Dale Says

For more than 20 years I’ve been writing summaries of what’s going on in my life and in the world around me on my birthday. Here’s an excerpt from 2002 …

April 24, 2002

On my birthday I’m 51 years old.

Fifty-one is an interesting age. By this time there’s no denying you are middle-aged, but some of the advantages of that status have yet to appear. At this age friends and relatives tend to be kinder as they acknowledge your birthday because they’ve already been there, or because they feel sorry for you.

It seems like the ’90s were a long time ago. It’s only been two years, but it seems like more, and each day of the past year has been a little more intense. Last year (2001) was not going well when things went from bad to worse as four airplanes were hijacked and crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and our lives were changed forever. We are all suspects now, because no one can be trusted.

A month after the attacks Patty and I went to New York City, because Mayor Guiliani asked us to. We didn’t want to spend money on anniversary gifts for each other after so many had lost so much so we donated to 9/11 relief funds and then spent our anniversary in NYC. It was an amazing, memorable trip. We watched the city grieve, and then begin to heal. The people of New York were incredibly friendly, and strangers thanked us for traveling to their city. We toured Ground Zero, where the rubble was still smoking; and firemen, police, and volunteers from all walks of life worked around the clock to clear the remains. Security was tight everywhere we went.

We walked through Grand Central Station and stood at the memorials and read the missing person notices on bulletin boards. The stories seemed so personal from that distance. We walked through Central Park where the trees were in color and explored the east side of Manhattan. We went to the Chrysler Building and the top of the Empire State Building and down Park Avenue, where American flags waved from businesses and homes. We saw two excellent plays (42nd Street and The Women) and had wonderful meals at sparcely-populated New York City restaurants. It was an emotional experience and we felt fortunate to witness the strength and determination of the people of New York.

A month later Patty lost her job at Visa. Technically, she was re-organized out of a job, which is a common way for U.S. companies to replace employees now, and she was “let go” with benefits and a nice severance package. But it was grossly mishandled and it really hurt Patty. She told her Dad and brother at Thanksgiving and they were their usual supportive selves. She is now turning into Mrs. “Super Volunteer,” and is being asked to serve on an assortment of non-profit boards and committees. I’m proud of the way she’s handling this adjustment and enjoy watching her blossom into another version of her mother.

Despite our work and family commitments we took several terrific trips over the past year. We went to Mexico in May after Patty won a stay in a private home in Mazatlan. We joined more than 100 other Fehringers in Nebraska in July for a family reunion, and spent a good deal of time with Patty’s Dad in Oklahoma.

We attended our fourth Olympics in Salt Lake City, joining friends to fight through extremely tight security and winter blizzards to see a wonderful Opening Ceremony and peaceful Winter Games.

In the news, the U.S. and its allies invaded Afghanistan shortly after the terrorist attacks. The goal was to root out and destroy the Islamic extremists who were behind the 9/11 attacks. The head of that group (which is called Al Quaeda) is a man named Osama bin Laden, the middle-aged son of a wealthy Saudi family. He has been hiding in Afghanistan where the Taliban gives him protection, and the objective is get in, get him and his cronies, and get back out, so we will avoid the quagmire the Russians faced a few years ago.

Economically, the past year was the Year of the Dot.Com’ers, many of whom crashed and burned along with their start-up Internet companies. The “New Economy” turned out to be the Old Economy in t-shirts, and those who didn’t have a sound business model are now gone.

The Catholic Church is facing a major scandal over widespread reports of pedophile by its priests. Headlines, lawsuits, and settlements are the order of the day, and it’s likely to be with us for awhile.

The past year has not been a good one for much of the world, but at 163 Jersey Street I’m satisfied with most parts of my life. In general, things here are going very well.