9/11

9/11 is perhaps the most significant day in the American collective consciousness. The national sentiment is one thing. The personal perspective of a New Yorker is quite another.

In 2001, I worked across the street from the World Trade Center. For me, the World Trade Center and its vicinity was a vibrant community. On Tuesdays, I shopped at the farmers' market. Strawberries and blueberries rarely made it home. New Jersey asparagus in late March signaled the end of winter. Like every market, this one was alive with chatter. I can't help but wonder, post-9/11, what happened to those people whose shoulders brushed mine reaching for the string beans.

9/11/2001 fell on a Tuesday. I was planning on stopping by the farmers' market before heading to my office. There were no news reports about the vendors until several weeks later, when passing mention was made in some newspaper. The farmers made it out, losing their produce and vehicles. But what of my fellow customers?

Public concerts on the World Trade Center plaza also added a sense of community. John Gorka played a concert at the World Trade Center plaza on the evening of August 29th. It was a crystal clear evening. The audience included fans who had traveled just to hear the concert. Workers leaving their offices, also sat to listen before heading elsewhere What was the fate of the men and women who stalled to listen? John Gorka wrote a poignant, slightly acerbic song called "I saw a Stranger with Your Hair." Though written about the painful fallout from a failed relationship, the context of that concert and the events that followed only a few days later, lend a different dimension to the lyrics:

I heard a stranger with your voice
It took me by surprise
Again I found it wasn't you
Just an angel in disguise
In for a visit

By the way how is my heart
I haven't seen it since you left
I'm almost sure it followed you
Could you sometime send it back
I'll buy the ticket

(Chorus)
I saw a stranger with your hair
I saw another with your eyes
I heard an angel with your voice
By the way how is my heart
By the way how is my heart

Whether or not we knew someone wrenched from life in the 9/11 attacks, a space is nonetheless in our hearts for all of the human lives and community lost in the attack. We mourn the reality that there are those who truly wish to hurt, maim and destroy. May we evolve to a new reality where we all strive for peace and health together. May peace be with you all on this 10th anniversary of 9/11.