In 1997 my youngest son was stationed in Germany. He had me come for Christmas Holiday to visit.
During the day we would take the train into Heidelburg or Mannheim and sight see/shop. In the evenings
we went to the places on base.
One night he want to treat to me to real German food so we went off base in his car.
Exiting the resturant after , He told his wife and I to wait by the resturant door, he'd be right back.
I watched him walk to the car, take out his flashlight and check under and in every part of the car.
He motioned us to come.
He then explained "Mom, not everyone loves Americans in Europe. That is why we use the trains and public
transport mostly. If I drive our car off the base with those plates on it, there is a chance of a bomb being put on it."
That woke me up real fast at how we assume because we would never harm anyone, we are safe as an individual.
The world turned pretty scary to me that night and I saw my son with very different eyes as to the man he had become.
During the day we would take the train into Heidelburg or Mannheim and sight see/shop. In the evenings
we went to the places on base.
One night he want to treat to me to real German food so we went off base in his car.
Exiting the resturant after , He told his wife and I to wait by the resturant door, he'd be right back.
I watched him walk to the car, take out his flashlight and check under and in every part of the car.
He motioned us to come.
He then explained "Mom, not everyone loves Americans in Europe. That is why we use the trains and public
transport mostly. If I drive our car off the base with those plates on it, there is a chance of a bomb being put on it."
That woke me up real fast at how we assume because we would never harm anyone, we are safe as an individual.
The world turned pretty scary to me that night and I saw my son with very different eyes as to the man he had become.
