For the first time in a week, I get to sleep in my own bed. That is a joy unto itself.
The trip to New York / New Jersey was interesting / fun / stressful, all rolled into one. Janine got to know a lot of extended family on Bonnie's side that I rarely get to see but can be fun to hang out with. We got to sit through three and a half hours of Jewish services, making the 1-hour Catholic Sunday much more appealing (hence Janine attending Palm Sunday this morning). Oh, and Janine got to see what a REAL Bar Mitzvah party is like. ;-)
Today we flew back to O'Hare, where we killed 2 hours and six margaritas while waiting for Janine's connecting flight to Saginaw. Needless to say, she called me when she arrived at MBS to let me know she was still drunk. Now THAT'S how everyone should travel! ;-)
Now... on a slightly more solemn note...
On Friday we ended up going into Manhattan with my step-sister, Beth. We decided that we were going to ditch my parents and to go down to Ground Zero, just because it seemed like the right thing to do. Well, after 45-minutes of NYC's Public Transit System (Note: I like Chicago's much better), we emerged upon the financial district and found ourselves staring into a 10-story pit of dirt and construction equipment.
It was surreal, sanitary, and bland all at once. Imaging that two skyscrapers and three other buildings used to stand right in front of us was believable but mind-boggling. Most remnants of the towers was all but gone - a big 15-acre hole staring right back at us through heavy-duty permanent fencing.
The sidewalk was repaired, the streets were repaved, the storefronts were open and bustling... everything seemed normal, almost as if that huge hole had always been there. The massive amounts of construction equipment down in 'The Pit' seemed as if it belonged there. Most everything had been cleaned up and removed... hence the sanitary feeling of it all.
The most obvious evidence of the disaster was a 30-story building to the east of the WTC, draped in black mesh like a woman in mourning. Instead of hiding tears, it was hiding the damage that resulted from 1.8 million tons of debris falling into it. The building still stood, but was draped to protect the people and traffic below from any bits and pieces falling to the ground below. The scars were still fresh, and somehow still seemed to bleed.
When speaking with friends and residents of the NY/NJ area, all said the same thing - "Things have changed." National Guardsmen armed with M-16 rifles are a mainstay at the area's airports, bridges and tunnels. Traffic into and out-of Manhattan was much lighter that years past. People didn't want to live there anymore.
After 18 months, things had definitely changed. Pride and freedom had been replaced by fear and vulnerability.
... I don't know how to finish this post, except to leave it as-written above. Words escape me.
Yay!
Posted by: Austin on April 15, 2003 08:52 AM