September 11th

I had totally forgotten about it, until coming home from the driving range yesterday seeing the Coram Fire Department's billboard, promoting their memorial service to remember "all the heroes that have fallen".  Switching on the TV this morning, every basic cable news channel was broadcasting the memorial service being held at the site of the World Trade Center - a slow reading of all the names of those lost, by family, friends, and volunteers. 

Everybody has different memories of that day in 2001. I very vividly remember where I was: my second week of classes at NYU, standing in Washington Square Park with the rest of my Prose Comp. class, watching the first tower fall.  Amidst the panic and whatnot, I remember jogging back to my dorm room on Broadway and E. 10th St. to wake up and grab my roommates. We got back to that spot in the park (right in front of the NYU library) just in time to see the second tower crumble. I really couldn't comprehend the severity of the situation, even with the screaming and crying rippling through the crowd.  Even over the next 48 hours, completely unable to get in touch with anyone (phone, internet, nothing), watching that night from our dorm window as the line of military trucks and vehicles crawled down Broadway, wandering around the evacuated, empty Village with our mouths and noses covered by handkerchiefs because of all the dust in the air, watching a fireman covered in dust and sweat collapsed in the corner of Penn Station, hat in his lap, head in his hands, crying - even these memories seem surreal.  It was a very, very interesting time to be living in New York City, especially as an 18 year old freshman.