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9/11/01 Gone But Not Forgotten.
aandrethegiant
Member Posts: 3,364 Arc User
I worked at J and R Computer World, New York City's first music and computer superstore - at 33 Park Row for many years. I bought fish at the Fulton Fish Market - and watched free concerts during the summer at the base of the World Trade Center. I'd bike over the Brooklyn Bridge. Just opening the DOORS of J&R... I could SMELL Mrs Field's Cookies from their original tiny store located across the busy busy street. I'd look right and see City Hall. Look straight ahead and saw some character doing something stupid in City Hall Park, yet somehow it was always so fun to watch. Look left and UP, and I'd see the most amazing sight... the World Trade Center. This was a normal day in New York City. Different was normal in lower Manhattan.
So many people have a story to tell. I have a few.
My cousin was pregnant, worked on the 92th floor in the first attack in 1993. She was evacuated via helicopter from the roof. So many were afraid they'd "get it right" the next time, my cousin has told me multiple times since that fateful day.
During the 9/11 attack in 2001, I knew 5 people in the WTC personally (including my cousin who survived the first attack), and 1 in the Pentagon. All six survived. They were all very lucky.
The girl that made it out alive from the Pentagon was scarred permanently. The persons hand she was holding did not survive, that's how close she came to death herself.
I had lived in NYC my entire life. I worked in Manhattan at J& R Computer World from 1988-1999, two years before 9/11/01. Appx 30 days before 9/11 I made it back to the World Trade Center, to see Leslie West play for free (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VxIi1ZjF7I) at the base of the Towers. Every Wednesday in the Summer, famous artists of every walk of life would play at no charge, outdoors, for the people of New York. It was called the "Center Stage Summer Concert Series". I remember looking up at the towers on the day of the concert, with my chin against the glass, in awe. The same buildings I saw my entire life, every day.
I prefer to look back on this day and think about those lost, and their families. I remember the BROTHERHOOD in the city on the 11th. When I visited family and friends, some who had lost someone close that they knew, all discussed the BROTHERHOOD. Everyone bonded together. Black, Brown, White. Christian, Jewish, Muslim. Thugs, Priests, and homeless. You couldn't find a person that didnt feel a sense of family ... a sense of compassion to one another. I can't quite tell you how long this lasted, but man did you FEEL IT.
THANK YOU TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS!!!
I am humbled by the great first responders, the police, the EMTs, the fire department, the Coast Guard, and volunteers who came from all around New York State, and surrounding states. Thank you for displaying truely superhuman amounts of bravery and redefining and expanding the very definitions of our "human potential". The title "HERO" seems unworthy, but its the best word we have to describe your actions on that day.
In 2004, I worked on a book with first responder Fabrizio Bivona called Gone, But not Forgotten. Profits for the book went to various charities that took care of the victims who weren't as lucky as those I knew myself. Picking the photos for the book, while watching this mans tears tell the story of each picture first hand, was an experience I will never forget. Here's the cover from that book, along with the caption I wrote on the back cover:
“We’re fortunate to live in a country whose birth right of freedom and justice are examples of the compassion our forefathers had in mind when creating this wonderful country. The key to our incredible success lies in the traits and contributions of the individual citizens, and like rain drops, each in and of itself has little impact. When the diversity and generosity of all the rain drops blend together they create a cascading river of hope, love and compassion.” That river is called THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA.
“You captured a moment in history and froze it in time. You gave me a new appreciation for the people and the events, as you made me feel like I was right there. If someday I’m asked about 9/11, I’ll simply hand them “Gone But not Forgotten” and they will live it through your eyes but with their hearts.
Fabrizio is on the right, standing next to then NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliano.
---**---
Lastly, I'd like to share a video that I created a few years ago which takes a very unique look at the events of 9/11.
'Ode to the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD, SAR, EMTs, Civil Air Patrol, US Coast Guard, Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force... and the thousands of professionals and non professionals who helped out their fellow man and woman.
http://youtu.be/aFIu_HJHMG8?list=UUqYVxkJpnpYDI-7AsjbfxRA
/Salute first responders
/Prayers to the families who lost love ones, and to all the responders and families of responders from across the world who gave aid during this entire ordeal.
So many people have a story to tell. I have a few.
My cousin was pregnant, worked on the 92th floor in the first attack in 1993. She was evacuated via helicopter from the roof. So many were afraid they'd "get it right" the next time, my cousin has told me multiple times since that fateful day.
During the 9/11 attack in 2001, I knew 5 people in the WTC personally (including my cousin who survived the first attack), and 1 in the Pentagon. All six survived. They were all very lucky.
The girl that made it out alive from the Pentagon was scarred permanently. The persons hand she was holding did not survive, that's how close she came to death herself.
I had lived in NYC my entire life. I worked in Manhattan at J& R Computer World from 1988-1999, two years before 9/11/01. Appx 30 days before 9/11 I made it back to the World Trade Center, to see Leslie West play for free (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VxIi1ZjF7I) at the base of the Towers. Every Wednesday in the Summer, famous artists of every walk of life would play at no charge, outdoors, for the people of New York. It was called the "Center Stage Summer Concert Series". I remember looking up at the towers on the day of the concert, with my chin against the glass, in awe. The same buildings I saw my entire life, every day.
I prefer to look back on this day and think about those lost, and their families. I remember the BROTHERHOOD in the city on the 11th. When I visited family and friends, some who had lost someone close that they knew, all discussed the BROTHERHOOD. Everyone bonded together. Black, Brown, White. Christian, Jewish, Muslim. Thugs, Priests, and homeless. You couldn't find a person that didnt feel a sense of family ... a sense of compassion to one another. I can't quite tell you how long this lasted, but man did you FEEL IT.
THANK YOU TO THE FIRST RESPONDERS!!!
I am humbled by the great first responders, the police, the EMTs, the fire department, the Coast Guard, and volunteers who came from all around New York State, and surrounding states. Thank you for displaying truely superhuman amounts of bravery and redefining and expanding the very definitions of our "human potential". The title "HERO" seems unworthy, but its the best word we have to describe your actions on that day.
In 2004, I worked on a book with first responder Fabrizio Bivona called Gone, But not Forgotten. Profits for the book went to various charities that took care of the victims who weren't as lucky as those I knew myself. Picking the photos for the book, while watching this mans tears tell the story of each picture first hand, was an experience I will never forget. Here's the cover from that book, along with the caption I wrote on the back cover:
“We’re fortunate to live in a country whose birth right of freedom and justice are examples of the compassion our forefathers had in mind when creating this wonderful country. The key to our incredible success lies in the traits and contributions of the individual citizens, and like rain drops, each in and of itself has little impact. When the diversity and generosity of all the rain drops blend together they create a cascading river of hope, love and compassion.” That river is called THE UNITED STATES of AMERICA.
“You captured a moment in history and froze it in time. You gave me a new appreciation for the people and the events, as you made me feel like I was right there. If someday I’m asked about 9/11, I’ll simply hand them “Gone But not Forgotten” and they will live it through your eyes but with their hearts.
Fabrizio is on the right, standing next to then NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliano.
---**---
Lastly, I'd like to share a video that I created a few years ago which takes a very unique look at the events of 9/11.
'Ode to the NYPD, FDNY, PAPD, SAR, EMTs, Civil Air Patrol, US Coast Guard, Marines, Army, Navy, Air Force... and the thousands of professionals and non professionals who helped out their fellow man and woman.
http://youtu.be/aFIu_HJHMG8?list=UUqYVxkJpnpYDI-7AsjbfxRA
/Salute first responders
/Prayers to the families who lost love ones, and to all the responders and families of responders from across the world who gave aid during this entire ordeal.
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CRAZY MIKE - 14.6k PvE CW
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tuesday 9/11/01: It was the first semester of my senior year in high school. During my first period class (architecture class) a group of students huddled around the only computer in the classroom that had internet looking at live video of the first tower being hit. Everyone dismissed it as a fake and eventually we all got back to what we were supposed to be doing. It wasn't until 2nd period (student aide for the attendance office) that I finally realized it was real and one of the principals brought in a black and white battery powered TV to watch the local news on the rabbit ears. When I went to the 3rd floor to get attendance sheets not one class was teaching. All of them were watching the news and seeing what was going on. As I was walking back the school principal was walking with a crying student down to the front office. She was crying because her dad was in NYC that day on a business trip and she couldn't get ahold of him.
I used to wear a denim coat to school when it was colder (and it was always cold in the school before the sun came up). On that jacket I had an american flag patch. I had my mom sew it on shortly after I got the jacket (I still have it too, as beat up as it is now. also, its kind of tight fitting now) and I used to be made fun of for showing national pride because of it too. After sept 11th 2001 though noone made fun of me for that anymore. In fact everyone started displaying american flags everywhere. It became cool to show national pride for a few years.
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