9/11/01:
I was awakened by a call on my cell. It was one of my dearest friends, Noelle, who had been trying to get through for over an hour. She was the first one able to get through, it turns out, though others were also trying. After expressing her relief..., she said. "They're gone. The towers are gone." I'll never forget it. I'm tearing up now, remembering..."What?" "They blew up the Trade Center! They're both gone!"
I didn't believe what I was hearing. As she tried to tell me, I said, "No. You mean they tried to again, but...they can't both be..." "Gone. Not there anymore." I rushed to turn on my TV, only to see STATIC! I tried another channel, then another - my heart sinking, feeling very much like I was in "War of the Worlds". "Try channel 2", Noelle said. And then I saw it. The void and the smoke where I had always known majesty to be.
Momentarily paralyzed, I wasn't sure I should leave, though I wanted to rush to the roof. Instead, I looked out the window and we both cried. Later, after I tried to contact everyone, including the man I was 'involved' with, and explored how/if I could help, I went up there. But, I try to remember the magnificent folks @ St. Lukes/Roosevelt when I went to give blood, and my pals @ McCoy's that night. True NYers!
They'd told me on the phone not to bother going to the hospital, that it'd be a 3 hr. + wait, & I was underweight (you have to be >110), but I went, anyway, thank God. Nowhere I'd rather have been. Ditto the following 3 days @ Chelsea Piers & 4th day @ Javits Center, volunteering. THAT is what I choose to recall about people. THAT spirit. THAT city. THIS city. OUR city. OUR COUNTY. You bet, I was staying. :)