Six Years Later
Six years later, September 11th once again falls on a Tuesday.I give thanks for the overcast skies and rain. Anything but that bright blue September sky that so vividly invokes the memory of the original tragic day.
As I make my coffee newscasters announce the plans for the memorial. All the names will be read again. The Star Spangled Banner is sung a Capella as I get in the shower. I hear the names begin, through the A's and B's as I'm in the shower, shaving.
Irish names.
Italian names.
Spanish names.
Polish.
The names continue read by first responders, I can't help but think that these men and women whom we proclaim as heroes are having their health turned into an election year issue. They read the names pausing to remember their friends, co-workers, brothers.
It depresses the hell out of me but I can't bear to turn it off.
As I leave the house we're only through the C's.
Calderon
Callahan
Calhoun
Things on the subway seem remarkably ordinary. You'd never know this was the anniversary except for the headlines of the papers being read by commuters. They seem nonplussed, or like me, they are doing everything they can not to dwell on it. Not to make the day extraordinary. For some sense of normalcy.
At work the thunder claps and lightning flashes outside our windows. The sky is black. It seems appropriate.
Labels: History, New Yorkana, Only In New York
posted by Michael @ 1:37 PM
2 Comments:
I'm trying like hell to not think about that day. I purposely avoided posting on my blog about it. I won't forget it, but I just can't open that day again.
Your post was beautiful, and perfect. No sappiness, no overly-emotional meanderings. We all know what happened, what we were doing, how we felt, what it did to us. You've shown, eloquently, how it's still an ordinary day - has to be - just like that original day started. We'll all think about it on every anniversary for the rest of our lives, whether we're forced to see pictures and videos and read sobbing commentary from anyone.
Thanks.
Each year it has been one of sadness for me, I visited New York for the first time in July of 2001 and fell in love with it. Each year since on 9/11 I've been filled with sadness, this year I tried something different. I did good deeds in honor of 9/11. I had a smile on my face the entire day.
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