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i don’t usually go on about these sorts of things, but …
Two years ago I woke up on a day so sunny and gorgeous, it was nothing short of surreal. Two years ago I came home from work with fumes of burning lives filling my lungs, nauseating me. My boyfriend was down there and I couldn’t find him. I couldn’t believe that on a day like that, it could be so sunny, that the sky could be so blue, and the sunset could be so brilliant. He finally reached me at 8 PM. I met some friends in Union Square to go to a candlelight vigil. The vigil was packed with college students and hipsters singing ‘all we are saying is give peace a chance.’ I became disgusted and left. I had no peace in my heart. I loved my city and somebody tried to take it from me.
I’m never leaving.
comments (5)
Most of my days seem a bit on the surreal side. Great site.
1 | S | September 11, 2003 09:27 AM
Right on, Deb.
2 | Alex | September 11, 2003 11:52 AM
Give peace a chance? Tell it to the folks who jumped.
Stay angry. Never forget.
3 | Dan | September 11, 2003 02:15 PM
Surreal is right. I lived in the Lower East Side and worked on 47th and Sixth. I used to jog home after work, anywhere from 6pm to 1am, whenever I was ready to go home.
I saw the black cloud that day on my way to the subway station. I'd just seen the second plane hit on the TV with my roommate. I didn't know what else to do but go to work. I went to the office the next day, too, and the day after and the day after that, to use the T1 connection. I jogged home. I realized that my jogging route was missing something, the red light on the top of one of the towers. I'd always seen it without noticing it until it was gone. And I breathed deep gulps of grit and dust and, well, you know what I'm talking about. Below 14th Street, I had to spit every block or so, feeling somehow apologetic.
I'm angrier than I can say that I made stupid decisions that forced me to retreat to the safety net of my friends in RI (as grateful as I am for my friends and their amazing generosity).
4 | Lisa | September 11, 2003 05:24 PM
i'm not sure staying angry is a good thing.
staying vigil, sure.
but you gotta let go of the anger eventually. it's too carcinogenic.
i tasted that smoke too. sometimes i can still feel it burning my eyes.
5 | The Mighty Jimbo | September 16, 2003 11:50 AM