E-MAILS

E-MAILS
Last month, The Vindicator asked hundreds of its News Contacts this question: How has your life changed since Sept. 11? For example, how has the event and its aftermath changed your attitudes, your work, family or religious lives, your travel plans, etc.?
I make a point to tell my mom I love her everyday. I used to attend church only on Christmas Eve. Since 9-11-01 I go every Sunday.
BOBBIE ANN DUNN
Liberty
My life has changed in many ways since Sept. 11. First of all, I do not take life for granted anymore. I am going to finish my associate degree in nursing. I plan to use my skills in some volunteer fashion (maybe at the Red Cross). I am grateful that my grown daughter has been going to church since Sept. 11, and so has her husband and my grandkids.
DEBORAH L. CURL
Columbiana
There have been few overt changes, however I have found that I have become much more fatalistic. Since I am of retirement age, may deepest concerns are for my own children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. I find that I worry more often about their personal safety.
CONNIE M. ROBINSON
Austintown
I worry so much about my children and grandchildren. They have many years on this earth. The whole world has changed since Sept. 11th. We all have to be alert and aware at all times. We can't let our guard down.
ANNA MARIE PENNEL MAINERO
San Clemente, Calif., formerly of Campbell and Youngstown
As a family, we have developed what is commonly referred to as & quot;bunker mentality. & quot; Not that we have changed any travel plans; we are still flying and traveling. However, our sense of awareness is heightened, we are cautious of anything out of the ordinary: people, actions, etc.
CHARLES T. MARTIN
Kinsman
I feel as though friends and family are more precious than ever since 9-11-01. I fear travel and we will not go on our winter vacation since I do not care to be away from my home, pets, family and friends!
MARLENE JOHNS
New Middletown
You really put things in perspective. God and your family come first, all the other little things that you worried about were senseless.
JENNIFER MILANO
Austintown
I'm a cautious person at best, and that hasn't changed. A person is more at risk from psychos in every day life such as rapists, thugs, gang members, etc., than from psycho religious fanatic terrorists. You need to be on guard all the time or you become a statistic.
REBECCA JONES
Beaver Township
I no longer take for granted my freedom to move about securely in places of public domain.
JUDY LAZAR
Youngstown
I tend to worry more about the adult lives that my children will experience. I am concerned that their lives will center on security and preservation issues and not the freedoms my generation has appreciated.
THOMAS C. ATWOOD
Canfield
We fly our flag daily. We've purchased and worn red, white and blue clothing and have learned the words to every patriotic song ever written. Just little things that suddenly seem important now. We've even reinstituted family fun night at home.
PATRICIA BANNER
Liberty
My son had a discussion in school about how we pay pro athletes millions of dollars, but the people who we trust to protect us, we pay so little. So true.
MARY GUTHRIE
Austintown
It's a shame there had to be a 9-11 to change my way of life, but change it did! I grew up with the fear of the then-Soviet Union wanting to bury us. As time went on and with government policy changes, those fears diminished. 9-11 brought me back to reality. Yes, the fear of the Soviet Union indeed was gone, only to be replaced by yet other evil nations. The fear is back!
JOANIE FARMER
Poland
If you have an e-mail address and would like to become a Vindicator News Contact, let us know.
We'll periodically send e-mails asking our contacts for their thoughts. The topic might be an issue we plan to address in the future or news events as they occur.
To become a contact, please type "Contact" into the subject line and send us your e-mail address, name, the town where you live and a daytime telephone number for verification purposes to newscontacts@vindy.com