David Spates "Therefore I Am" Published Feb. 26, 2002

It's time we get back to normal

It's time to shelve the comfort foods. Enough with the nesting, already.

Spring is on the horizon, and I say it's about time we get out of the house, go to the park and say hi to a complete stranger.

Sept. 11 hit this country hard. We were sucker-punched, and it knocked the wind out of us. So we fell back to a safe position and regrouped. We cuddled up with our families to watch uplifting movies from Blockbuster and eat cheesecake, all the while feeling a little hesitant about rejoining society.

It's completely understandable. I did it, too. I was in a rotten mood for weeks after Sept. 11. Winter sure didn't do much to improve my mood, and we all heard news stories about how our fellow Americans were indulging in comfort foods and settling themselves into their homey nests until the gloom subsided. Granted, overeating and lounging around at home is a dandy way to deal with emotional scars.

Let's move on. I say it's time to get off the couch, turn off the TV, log off from the Web and put down that stealth-bomber-size wedge of Sara Lee.

This doesn't mean we should put Sept. 11 out of our minds. We should NEVER do that. In fact, I suggest the U.S. government make Sept. 11 a federal holiday so Americans will never forget what happened on Terrible Tuesday. If we can have a nationally mandated holiday to celebrate Chris Columbus, whose exploration motives were questionable at best, certainly we can take a three-day weekend to commemorate a day when thousands of citizens were killed for doing nothing other than reporting to work on time.

But like I said, I think we should return to a more vibrant and life-affirming national atmosphere. We owe it to the victims. If I were one of the victims killed Sept. 11, I wouldn't want my family and my nation to mope around too long. I would hope and expect that after an appropriate mourning period, enthusiasm and vigor would again fill the souls of my countrymen. (I don't think I've ever used the word "countrymen." As a matter of fact, I'm not sure anyone has used it in 200 years. It's a good word, though. Try it out later today. I think you'll like it.)

We're still happy to be Americans, right? It's been a rough few months, what with the terrorist attacks, an anemic economy and a gruesome discovery in Nobel. If that weren't enough, we've got Britney Spears shaking her moneymaker every time we turn on the television. We've got good reason to be down in the dumps, and yet I think I can put aside all of that and look forward to better days.

We're going to win the war against terrorism, of that I have no doubt, just as I'm certain that the economy is going to turn around. The economy always rebounds. Some recessions last a little longer than others, but if you're betting against the U.S. economy, you're making a bad move. The spine-chilling events in Nobel will subside, and the loved ones' families will have happier times ahead.

Britney, well what can I say? I've got five words that should make us all feel a little better about her time in the limelight. New Kids On The Block. Nothing lasts forever, so invest your money wisely, Britney.

I'm looking forward to spring. I want to take my daughter to the park and push her on the swing set. I want to get out into the community and meet new people. I can't wait to take in a hike and eat some peanut butter cheese crackers alongside a stream. That's what I call comfort food.

It's time we start smiling again. Not only would it be good for us, but it would be an extended thumbing of the nose at Osama. He doesn't want us out and about, enjoying our lives. He'd prefer we remain cooped up in our homes, afraid of our shadows. Actually, he'd prefer us dead, but he'd probably settle for lives of terror. Well, he can forget it. If sticking it to Osama isn't a good enough reason to grab some gusto, I don't know what is.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to turn off this stupid computer and go outside. See you on the swing set.

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David Spates is a Knoxville resident and Crossville Chronicle contributor whose column is published each Tuesday. He can be reached at davespates@chartertn.net.