A Slice of Life
Bill Lites
Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when terror struck the United States on September 11, 2001? I’m sure you do. That’s not the kind of event a person easily forgets. As it happened, my wife, Divoran and I were in the middle of a wonderful family get-together at one of our favorite places in Central Florida; DeLeon Springs State Park.
Our family had been visiting the campground since the late 1960s, before it was a state park. We loved camping there and knew the original owners well. One of the unique things about this campground was its rustic Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant, where you can cook your own breakfast on the hot-plate in the middle of your table. This particular day our son, and his family, as well as our daughter, and her husband had joined us for a special family breakfast together.
Photo Credit: https://www.floridarambler.com/ponce-de-leon-state-park/
We could not have been having a more wonderful family time, when the terrible news came filtering into the restaurant over the airways. I remember how deathly quiet it became, as all the airplanes in this country were grounded. You might remember how everything seemed to be on hold, as if the country was holding its breath, to see what would happen next. We finished our breakfast in stunned silence, not really able to grasp the enormity of the attack. It wasn’t until we got home, later that day, that we were able to see the news reports of just what all had happened. It was only then that we began to understand how devastating the event had been, and finally the impact began to sink in. We could have never understood, at the time, just how much this event would change our lives, and the lives of most people the world over, forever.
Photo Credit: https://www.latimes.com/travel/la-xpm-2001-sep-11-attack/
—–To Be Continued—–
Did you know that Bill and his wife DiVoran loved DeLeon Springs so much that DiVoran wrote a trilogy set there-Onisha
Bill is a retired Mechanical engineer living with his wonderful artist/writer wife, DiVoran, of 64 years in Titusville, Florida. He was born and raised in the Southwest, did a tour of duty with the U.S. Navy, attended Northrop University in Southern California and ended up working on America’s Manned Space Program for 35 years. He currently is retired and spends most of his time building and flying R/C model airplanes, traveling, writing blogs about his travels for Word Press and supporting his wife’s hobbies with framing, editing and marketing. He also volunteers with a local church Car Care Ministry and as a tour guide at the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum there in Titusville. Bill has two wonderful children, two outstanding grandchildren, and a loving sister and her husband, all of whom also live in Central Florida, so he and DiVoran are rewarded by having family close to spend lots of quality time with.
One of Bill’s favorite Scriptures is: John 10:10
Old Things R New 
Yes, I do remember where I was that fateful day – working at the church. I remember Karen calling and saying that she wanted to get her children home from school and just hug them. A day that really changed our lives. And yes, I have all three of DiVoran’s books about the Springs. Wonderful books – wonderful writing – and they tell so much about DeLeon Springs. Hard to realize that this prolific writer is related to ME! Love you both.
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