So many emotions colliding.
The Kansas State Fair starts on September 11th and runs through the 20th. I’m posting pics of my booth while it is still 9/10 in Kansas. Of course I want people to visit my booth, but it feels strange starting the fair on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Even events leading up to 9/11 seem surreal.
On the one hand, an American political party had a midterm convention for the very first time.
On the other hand, the 2 nights of the convention conflicted with the start to the 2026 NFL season. Normally the season starts on a Thursday, but this time the season started on a Wednesday. On Thursday night, the NFL played its very first regular season in Australia, with Melbourne hosting.
Thursday was also a day of mourning for many who are still horrified by the killing of Charlie Kirk.
On September 10, 2001, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was below 10,000. The next day it would be shut down until the 17th, plummeting for the saddest of reasons. Yet 25 years later, the Dow is over 50,000. America is resilient and strong in so many ways.
On Friday, there will be sadness during the day as we commemorate the 2,977 people we lost on 9/11 of 2001. Others will also commemorate the 4 people we lost in Benghazi, Libya on 9/11 of 2012.
Yet by Sundown, there will be joy amidst the pain, especially for Jews. Friday night on the 11th starts Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year. I’ll be out of commission for the holiday, which runs from Friday night sundown through Sunday nightfall on the 13th. This year Rosh Hashanah starts on Shabbos, doubling the joy.
I’m in Hutchinson, Kansas. The nearest synagogue in an hour away in Wichita.
Adding to the joy is that 9/11 is the birthday of my closest friend growing up and 9/13 is the birthday of my closest friend today. Both of these Jewish men share their special day with Rosh Hashanah.
The Kansas Fair ends on 9/20, at which point I’ll race an hour to Chabad Wichita for Yom Kippur, my day of atonement.
Meanwhile, after nearly a month, I rejoined X. My account was locked for posting pro-Israel content that hurt the feelings of antisemites. I took the post down because I knew their promised “review” was never going to happen. Censorship is alive and well. I decided that it was more important to be on X rather than fight to the death over one post that was never going to get reviewed.
All of this seems to be happening at the exact same time. That is life.
God bless you all.
eric TYGRRRR EXPRESS