Just relax. No songs in this one. Just the report on Okla City.
The motel claims to be in the Okla quarter called Bricktown. It ain’t! No more than the Dagenham is in Chelsea. The motel was OK, but the area was a cross between a scrapyard and a cement works. Still, it was a bed for the night (or two).
We got the brochures, and headed up to the actual Bricktown. The new cultural centre of Okla City. All night clubs, hotels and Mickey Mantle. Precious little in the way of shops, and nothing open for the visitor till 11am. No water taxi. Just a big yellow fountain and a Sonic diner. Nephew, I’ve got you some more pics from the Okla Fire Department (they all eat at Sonic!).
We drove through downtown and a few other parts of the city. The weather was nice. That about covers it.
The better bit …
L and I drove up to the Oklahoma City Memorial. The remembrance of a terrible crime, and the transformation of a disaster scene into a deeply moving monument. There are some utterly obnoxious edifices in the USA, but this Memorial is simple, and tasteful. I have never seen such an effective way to remember the innocent victims. There is no tackiness, no sugary sentiment. You can walk around, see and touch. Like many others, I dipped my hand in the reflecting pool and left the imprint on the memorial wall. The print would be gone by the time I had returned to the car.
We only leave a transient mark with our lives, but we create memories that outlast all our actions. Go there. It will leave its mark on you.
We left Okla City after 2 nights. We were now on Route 66, and heading West.
Here are the memories … and look closely at the hand print. We are never alone.
