General Discussion

I overslept, and was going to head into Manhattan. It was around a little before 10:30AM when I left. My roomate was still asleep. It's gorgeous day. Happy summer cloud in the sky.

I usually turned on my walkman while puttering around the apt, but didn't. Get outside turn it on, I'm at right angles Flatbush Ave, but 1 block east. I notice a police car stopped across the span of the street blocking another car from going onto Flatbush. Strange.

Now crossing westward, then northward parallel to Flatbush. I turn on the radio, several (?3) news people on..."firemen covered in ash." "It looks like a Science Fiction movie, but it isn't.". I have no idea of where they are talking about; but I think of one of those 10ish story but full block long red brick buildings in Queens. They're pretty massive for non tall residential buildings.

As I'm near to crossing the to the northside of the street parallel to Flatbush; they all fall silent. I've crossed, and begin to head west to Flatbush. Then one of them says, "The Towers are gone.". I spin around around, staring at my walkman held in hand as if it turned into a little squawking monster, bc possibly I'm unconsciously putting 2+2 together.

Then terribly, I slowly turn back to face north-ish west. Where the Towers would peek their top 5 or stories above the local low buildings depending just where you were. I look closer at that "summer cloud". It's not white, but a light gray beige. It's not "airy" either but more ?gritty. I realize I'm looking at the cloud of destruction.

See, back in 9/80 - 8/81 I spent afternoons on the 73rd floor (2 elevators!), in the NE corner office of South Tower 2. NYS Dept of Labor (they moved our waaay before), with some great work colleagues, and an amazing view! Spent years visiting the lower mezzanine for great shopping. Windows on the World, and their bar for drinks .

I clamp my hands over my mouth and run screaming back home. Through myself on my bed, cry hard into my pillow then stop. I'm too scared to go into the living room to watch TV, so I listen to WNYC & NPR radio all day, evening. My sister calls me early afternoon, and tells me about 2 near misses by her friends! I finally watch TV from midnight for several hours in a surreal daze.

When I go out the next day the cloud from the still burning fires is dark, and high above our neighborhood. Go to a neighborhood Net cafe to get intouch with a set of friends with shared interests. But no internet bc the cables were ?cut, or not functioning from Manhattan. Can't go into Manhattan either. Finally 3 days later I do get in and my friends were worried bc they thought I still worked in that area.

At Union Sq an amazing set of personal items, art etc builds up all around the south plaza area. Amazing, so poignant! It's the Northside of 14th St where anyone can go. I spend many visits there.