Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:04 am Reply with quote
I'll go first with my thoughts....
My first trip to NYC was Nov 2000. The marquee at the Apollo theatre was welcoming president Clinton (he was moving to NYC). I took double decker bus tours all over, always on the open top for the best view and best photos, even if it was cold and windy up there. We traveled over to the world trade centers - no one wanted to stop there and being the only one on the top of the bus, i looked up at these two monster sized buildings wondering how to get a shot of them. So seeing no one else was up there. I leaned all the way back and got a great shot of the two towers. 8 months later they were gone, along with so very, very much more.
The next time there, I took my mom to see NYC and New England. We spent a week in NYC, taking all the double decker bus trips, only this time, the tour information was quite different. The sights forever altered. To hear the story told from someone who lived there and literally went past those towers several times daily was a very sad thing to listen to. We went to Liberty Island and looking back at the mainland, we imagined and remembered the smoked filled images of that view years ago. We went to see ground zero, but by that time (2004) it looked more like an empty construction site than the horror we watched on tv. We went to the old church across the street and saw posters from people around the nation, ribbons sent in from children, scuff marks on the back of the pews where weary rescuers had slept and scratched up the wood with equipment and boots. And we saw a small amount of photos and 'have you seen' flyers, momentos that would never be claimed again.
On 9/11 the world where I lived, was suddenly very quiet. Business phones didn't ring. Co-workers didn't talk. Work wasn't done. We brought in small tvs into the offices and we sat on the floor watching the news. I remember for so long, the tiny print scrolling across the bottom of the screen with updates. I still have emails from co-workers and family members, all of us locating each other and getting updates.
I remember feeling like I wanted to go to NYC to help and I remember watching people there trying desperately to help others - in particular, one guy just feeling so out of balance and filled with the urgency to help that his feet were slipping out of control as he was trying to get a case of bottled water to those that needed help.
I remember pain and silence and sadness and tears. And fear. And the need to display the American flag. Our stores were running out of flags as everyone wanted one. I printed one up at work and taped it up in my front window where it is still to this day. I remember people everywhere being quiet ... especially while driving. Not hearing loud radios or people ranting at each other. No rap music or bass vibrations.
I remember driving home and all the neighborhoods had candles burning in their driveways in remembrance.
I remember.
