On Wednesday night, I went to bed quite late (again), around 2.45a, and something like at 3.15a I was almost asleep, I heard a plane. And I sat bolt upright in bed.

The plane got louder and louder, and I could tell it was flying really low, then it got softer, but before it was gone, it got louder again, then softer, and I realized that there was more than one plane. I think there were four, and I just sat there, shaking, even after it had gone quiet, waiting for the crash.

When nothing happened, I realized that they were probably military planes. It took me a long time to get to sleep.

Last night I went to bed quite late, around 2.30a, and something like at 3a I was almost asleep, I heard more sirens then I had ever heard before, besides that day. At least six or seven of them, and they just went on and on for about five minutes, and I just sat up in bed, shaking, and wondering whether I should turn on the TV to hear about the newest disaster.

Will the sounds in the night ever sound ordinary again?

Yesterday I went back into the city for the first time since Monday.

The last thing I had heard the night before was that the Tunnel was still closed, so I turned on the TV and waited for someone to tell me something about whether I could get into the city, because the last thing I had heard at 2a the night before was that it was still closed.

I decided to call work, and LA was still picking up the front desk, so I started to try direct dialing, though it's still hard to get a line into NY. I finally reached the Controller, who I knew had to get in from Jersey himself, and he told me that they had opened the Tunnel at 3a, so I was going in. I was glad in a way, because I was a little over being home, but I was afraid of being away from the TV, I was afraid that something else would happen.

Right before leaving the house, they showed the Tunnel at last, backed up all the way to hell, and the announcer saying that they were doing spot checks on cars, and it would take awhile to get through and to be patient, so I prepared myself for that, and went out and caught a van pretty quickly, and it wasn't ten minutes after seeing the Tunnel on TV before I pulled up to it myself, and it was completely empty.

Really, we were the only car going through! I couldn't figure out what had happened, were the cars vaporized? I mean, it was a live picture they had showed!

And yes, that was the first time I saw the new skyline live. I turned my head and glimpsed it, and quietly turned my head away. And every single person on the van did the exact same thing.

The city was very odd. It was so quiet, and half-empty and on the street everyone was just so nice to each other, there were no angry words. It was as though everyone was an open wound, and everyone was being so gentle with one another.

There was also a cop on every streetcorner. And by every streetcorner I mean every streetcorner--at each intersection there were four police officers, but not in a threatening way, in a helpful traffic-directing kind of way.

When I was going home, I was crossing the street in front of the Port Authority, inching out towards the red light, and the cop there turned and smiled and said, "Wait for the light to change, okay?" I said that I wouldn't cross, that I was just inching out, and he indicated that I could inch all the way out to there, but to wait for the green light to go farther. Then some other people started to cross, and he said, "Guys, just wait for the light, okay?" and they smiled and agreed, then some people started crossing from the other corner, and he waved at them to stop, but they didn't, and when they had crossed all the way they laughed and patted the cop on the shoulder and apologized.

It made me so happy, this little New York moment. This moment of everyone laughing and being co-operative. It was so moving--such a contrast with the events of the week.

We are still talking about The World Trade Centre--Taking it Personally, and people are telling incredible stories.

Today's horoscope:
Firm and forceful action is appropriate on the job. Don't hesitate; do what needs to be done.

One year ago today:
If you know who you are, you can never be lost.

* Yesterday / Index / This Month / Tomorrow *

E-Mail

Graphics by the graphically inclined Saundra!

This page was written by hand. My hand. Only pussies use HTML editors.
Last Updated Mon 17 September 00:00:09 2001