"THIS IS NOT A DRILL....." (Hawaii, January 13, 2018)

I had just finished a pre-dawn walk where I had watched a wonderful sunrise over Diamond Head.  I was sitting on the edge of the bed, in our 23rd floor room at the Wyndham Royal Garden, watching the Michigan and Michigan State basketball game, when my cell phone pinged indicating a text.  I reached for it and sat in unbelief as I read and re-read the message on the screen.."THIS IS NOT A DRILL!  AN INCOMING BALLISTIC MISSILE WILL IMPACT HAWAII......".

"THIS IS NOT A DRILL, THIS IS NOT A DRILL" echoed through my numb mind.  Earlier in the week we had visited with Hawaii resident, Dennis Lynch, who had told us that Hawaii now was holding "Missile Alert Drills" once a month because of its' vulnerability to attack from North Korea.  Now this message shouted...NOT A DRILL".

I shared the message with Sherry as she finished her morning shower, returned to the living area, and read words like these as they scrolled across the television while a now unimportant basketball contest played in the background..."An incoming ballistic missile will impact Hawaii in 20 minutes, take shelter now".

Twenty minutes?  I now had a timeline for my possible earthly end.  Twenty minutes!  I stepped out unto our lanai and scanned a deep blue Waikiki sky from the river to the Pacific Ocean, thinking that perhaps I could catch a glimpse of something.  I can not fully explain my emotions, my feelings.  I don't even remember if I breathed a prayer.  There was a sense of resignation; a feeling that this was it.  I did think about the guy I saw on a street corner, by the beach, with his sign..."The end is near".

By this time Sherry had exited the bathroom, hair wet, and we made our way to the lobby.  In the lobby I saw no crying and fear, just people with confused looks on their faces, and many on their cell phones.  After about another 10 minutes we learned that there was no threat.