Friday, January 28, 2011

Hawaii {part4}

There were very few things on my "to do" list while we were in Hawaii and on the last day, I still had 2 of them left unchecked.  Luckily Jason only had a half day at work so I was able to spend the morning touring Pearl Harbor & the USS Arizona with Sarah and the afternoon at the Dole Plantation with the husband.  A busy but perfect last day in Hawaii =)

So I dropped Jason off, then after my 4th stop at Target in 5 days headed to Pearl Harbor.  Since I was early I hung around at the entrance taking photos and people watching until Sarah arrived.  

I'd been there for maybe 5 minutes before I over heard 3 women approach, whining and complaining about not being able to bring in their purses/diaper bags.  It took EVERYTHING I had (and a phone call to my mother) not to scream at these women "DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE!??!?!  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THESE MEN AND WOMEN SACRIFICED ON THIS LAND?!?!?!  IF YOU CAN'T BE APPRECIATIVE OF THE FREEDOMS THEY DIED FOR, TAKE YOUR F'ING HAND BAGS AND GO BACK TO WHAT EVER SELF ABSORBED LAND YOU CAME FROM!!!!!!!!"  Part of me wish I had unleashed on them but I'm 100% sure I would not have been nice about it, so it's probably best that I kept my mouth shut!

After I vented to my mom and Jason and Sarah I was able to move on with my day and enjoy my experience there.  It really is a sobering site to see.  I cannot even begin to imagine what it must have felt like to be there that day.  I would venture to say they have similar stories as those that were in NYC on 9/11.  I'm not a history person, but I'm definitely a people person.  I'm on a mission now to read as many memoirs/autobiographies written about these 2 events as possible.  (any recommendations would be much appreciated) 








(any photoshop experts care to help me remove this guy from the photo?!?!)

 Outside the memorial there were gardens and through out the gardens were these quotes.  This one is a poem Eleanore Roosevelt kept in her wallet durring WWII

"Dear Lord
Lest I continue
My complacent way
Help me to remember
Somehow out there
A man died for me today.
As long as there be war
I then must
Ask and answer
Am I worth dying for?"

5 comments:

Kara said...

I totally understand your Target withdrawals. At least I can't/don't spend as much money here though!

Sarah said...

I still can't believe I took that with the guy in the background!! I'm so sorry! I do love the photos you took of the leis with the names in the background! Fantastic!

Nina said...

Great pics, thanks for sharing! Send me an email if you still need help to get the dude removed.

JG said...

Wow. I'm going to save that poem. Great pictures! I want to go so badly!

d.a.r. said...

I have always wanted to go there!!

Your pictures are seriously looking amazing!! You are good with that camera!