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The New Normal
Friday, October 26, 2001
By Steve Nesius / The Associated Press

A DIFFERENT PASTIME:
In St. Petersburg, Fla., Tampa Bay Devil Rays pause during pre-game warmup Oct. 7 to hear President Bush announce the start of US airstrikes in Afghanistan.
Photo Credit: The Associated Press

Undeniably, the four hijacked jetliners destroyed more than buildings. They also ripped a hole in the US cocoon of self-absorption. Through that hole Americans now hear the noise of the world - the voices of those who hate the globe's lone superpower for what it does, and for what it is.

One month has elapsed since the attacks on America. People say their lives are back to normal, but they also sense that 'normal' is different now - serious, patriotic, more prayerful.

What's normal now in America? More civility, if you're Peter Giacobbi. The University of Florida professor used to hammer his brother about politics. But the events of Sept. 11 have put extreme-sport argument in a new perspective.

"It seems so petty, compared to these issues we're dealing with now," he says.

To Chris Lanciani, normal means more time for family. A signal-processing engineer from Washington, Mr. Lanciani had been working 60 to 70 hours a week. He also has an 18-month-old daughter. Watching her grow suddenly takes precedence. "I shouldn't procrastinate about the important things," he says.
(More: Christian Science Monitor News Source)
2001 © The Associated Press..

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