9/11

I woke up to gray skies. Today is September 11th. Six years ago, the sky beautiful blue, the city changed. The attack, the terror, the horror we all remember. While I was traveling in South America, once people found out where I live, this day was the first thing they asked me about. Me personally, I was in the air from New York to Atlanta. I'd spent the night in the Newark airport in a telephone alcove, my flight cancelled the night prior, awaiting a 6:45 am departure. Off the plane clueless in Atlanta, I walked toward a Popeye's Chicken wondering why it was so packed. I mean, Popeye's is good, but it ain't that good. Turns out they had televisions airing what was happening. I couldn't believe it. I thought it was the trailer for the next Will Smith movie.

In the 5 years that I've lived in the city, I've never gone to Ground Zero on this day, and this morning watching the names being called, I decided to go. A maze of police barracades and the Financial Disrict around lunch time, I almost turned back and went home. So many people in one place, it just didn't seem worth it. And I can't say I didn't think about what would happen if there were another attack in the same spot, same day.

I was surprised to find a silent protest on the site. Seated monks beating drums with banners of Asian characters were backed by a crowd, hands raised in peace signs. Confused. They were protesting but I wasn't sure why. One of New York's Finest explained that their point seems to be that 9/11 was a conspiracy and requires further investigation. That the attack was an inside job. In the swirl of theories surrounding the attacks there may lie a legitimate, responsible party. The theories may also be ideas to which people attach themselves unable to handle the magnitude of what happened, the evil in the world. They may even be sheer political propaganda. Regardless, the protest almost seemed insulting. All of these people gathered to grieve, to honor, to remember, to pay respects, and a protest? I wondered how many participating lost a child, husband, co-worker, relative in the attack.

Ground Zero remains a work in progress to this day. It has slowly changed from a destruction to construction site, the PATH trains and subways up and running years back. As for what lies ahead, the Freedom Tower is the plan. Goldman Sachs also recently signed on to set up shop there with 13,000 some-odd employees. So, soon enough, I imagine this part of the city will be aglow in lights and luxury. There is also a memorial slated to commemorate those lives taken in both 2001 and 1993. It's a relief to see there will be a place dedicated to the those who perished, as much to honor their lives and efforts as well as to pay tribute to those they left behind who miss them day by day.

On my way home, the sky poured rain on me. I walked past a bodega cashier smoking a cig on the street. I was soaked, my shirt pretty much see-through, and he didn't glance at any other part of my body than my chest. Eww. I think that shop's run by Muslims. And it occurred to me, maybe Muslim women are covered that way for their own protection. For the first time in my life, I'd have rather been in a full burka.