By By Lindsey Sherrill
Columnist
So much seems to be happening so fast today. It is almost as if the world has suddenly sped up and, sometimes, I feel like I'm almost getting left behind. It's simply mind boggling to think about everything going on in the world right now and to realize just how interconnected the world has become.
I mean, think about the fact that less than a century ago transatlantic flight had yet to be accomplished, telephones were very primitive, and automobiles were just becoming a mainstream item. Today people travel across the world in a matter of hours and communication with just about any possible location is instant. It is fascinating how quickly the world changes and how these changes affect daily life.
All of the turmoil in the world also causes me to think about how quickly time passes in our personal lives as well. Today, 2003, we are struggling with the idea of war on Iraq against Saddam Hussein. Twelve years ago we were in the same straits. We were facing a war with Iraq against-guess who-Saddam Hussein. I know I'll be telling how young I really am by revealing this, but I have a very distinct memory of Desert Storm. I remember standing in front of the television (in a green and purple striped suit!) watching coverage of what was happening. I especially recall asking my mom why it was dark on the television when it was morning here. She explained all about time changes and the sides of the earth, but I don't think that's why I recall Desert Storm. No, I really think it's because I lost my first tooth while watching the news coverage.
I'm a long way now from loosing teeth or wearing purple and green striped leggings, but the scene is still the same when I turn on the television. It's so easy to say, why are doing this now? Why do we have to worry about Saddam? Shouldn't we have taken care of that twelve years ago? Yes, it's easy to ask questions, yet who really knows the answers? I know I'm not the only one feeling the de ja vu and asking those questions. I wonder how prepared America really is for what could be ahead. Can we handle a crisis?
Are we as strong as we think?
For once, I am not going to sum up my column with my answers because, honestly, I don't have any. This whole piece is conjecture. I only hope and pray that America can emerge from whatever may occur in the future as mighty as we have emerged in the past.