In the city: a day to remember what unites us

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What unites us all, even those who are not in this room?

How to bring light to others? What feelings are you experiencing?

Do you have a daily routine that gives you strength?

These are just a few of the “Best Conversations” cards from the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum that were on the discussion tables during a recent first-day lunch.

The day after an election is a good day to mention what we have in common rather than our differences, and I loved the Bombing Memorial episode of Best Conversations for helping us explore what what unites us. The series grew out of the difficult conversations people in Oklahoma City had to discuss how best to build a National Memorial to honor “those who were killed, those who survived, and those who were forever changed,” according to the website.

Last Friday, the first “If These Walls Could Talk” luncheon was held at Prairie Surf Studios, former home of the Myriad Convention Center and future site of the new Oklahoma City arena. The event was a wonderful way to remember how the Myriad Convention Center became “one of the greatest examples of the Oklahoma standard” on April 19, 1995, said Dr. Susan Chambers, chairman of the memorial’s board. That day, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, holding the second day of its trade show, turned the convention center into a hub to welcome first responders from around the country.

“We return to this place to honor the good that was found here in 1995, to honor those of you who paved the way for so many. We also gather to celebrate the lives that were so needlessly taken on that fateful day,” she said.

Each year’s First Day Lunch marks the first of 168 days leading up to the anniversary of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the same number of people killed in the explosion.

It was a meaningful lunch that shared the stories of the rescuers and remembered the beautiful words of Pastor Billy Graham, who spoke at the memorial service after the incident.

Also on stage were Donna Weaver McGinty, widow of Mike Weaver, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development employee killed in the building that day; Arlene Blanchard, a survivor who served in the U.S. Army at the time; Retired Oklahoma City Fire Chief Gary Marrs, who was in charge of the incident at the time; Robin Marsh, television reporter for KWTV; Bob Johnson, founding chairman of the Oklahoma City National Memorial; Sam Presti, executive vice president and general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder; and Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt.

Speaking about the Thunder’s partnership with the memorial, Presti said he first noticed how generous and compassionate the people of Oklahoma City were when he arrived here in 2008.

“We challenge our team and our employees to live up to Oklahoma City’s standards of service, honor and kindness,” he said.

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