by Greg Koelker
It’s 8:10 on September 11, 2026, a morning to wish for. I am sipping hot coffee on the porch. The air is at 55 degrees and still; the first sunlight is starting to slip down the ridge across the coulee. There are squirrels barking, geese honking in the distance, a woodpecker tapping on the neighbors tobacco shed I believe, several sandhill cranes and their gravel toned, rusty swingset calls down the road. Jake and Megan’s randy roosters are in crow and tell mode. Down the coulee, I can hear the rhythmic, brassy air horns and rumble of a freight train rolling down the river. It’s peaceful. It’s therapeutic.
As I meditated, I recalled the conversation with Jill Berra Krause, a former student of mine; Yogi – I called her Yogi – told me, “We were talking about you last night. My children were asking me about 911. I told them I first learned about it in Mr. Koelker’s English class.” Jill and I remembered that Friday morning when Choir Director Susan Schmidt burst through the door and said,” Mr. Koelker, you must turn on your television right now!” The rest of that day’s instruction was lost to learning real time history as it unfolded before our very eyes; we watched the reports and shocking images and talked about them sometimes. That night I had just crawled into bed when I got a frantic call warning me to go fill my gas tank as some stations were gouging on gas prices, like over $4 a gallon. (That happened but only at a couple stations in La Crosse.) As it were, I had filled up that morning at $1.52 a gallon. Just sayin’.
I was depressed, hell everyone was for a while as we had a sports free weekend to contemplate what it all meant. The suddenly suspect skies over the USA were shut down for two days, causing another kind of anxiety. I’d say just about everyone in the United States and the world had this etched in their memory. The terrorist attack and murder of nearly 3,000 people in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania would change all our lives forever. People got along better – for a while at least; Patriotism surged and American flags flew or were displayed at every turn; that one horrible day united us. Sadly, that unity has eroded in the quarter century since 9/11.
That said, I believe 9/11 is right up there with other shared tragedies like Pearl Harbor and the JFK assasination. (I remember the murder of JFK; I was in phy ed class when Mrs. Grimm announced that Kennedy had been shot.) I will never forget 9/11, and I hope Americans and the world never do.
Until next time, get out – I just got back from a Cardio ride. There was the scent of cut alfalfa in the air. After dinner, I think I’ll mix up a couple adult beverages and head out to the porch with Ellen, Bo, and Oc. Enjoy the transition from summer into fall.
Peace.
Greg Koelker is a lifelong resident of the Driftless region along the Mississippi River. He is the acclaimed author of the “Grouse Hollow Journal,” a column that celebrates rural life, nature, family heritage, and the traditions that bind communities together. While technically focused on the “outdoors,” his writing often explores broader themes of community values and education.
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