tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230159747504875594.post8766768334879947936..comments2024-02-17T07:10:23.006-08:00Comments on Just For My Boys: Pearl Harbor, JFK Assassination & 9/11Tom Lockerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11857205609027226278noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-230159747504875594.post-62807060737127958092012-06-11T12:00:08.937-07:002012-06-11T12:00:08.937-07:00"I was remembering my circumstance that day o..."I was remembering my circumstance that day on the other side of the country in Mammoth Lakes, CA. I numbly drove to work late that day...HWY. 395 North to June Lake, this amazing wide open landscape in the Eastern Sierra mountains of California with nothing and no one except beauty in sight. Typically, not so surreal, rather my back yard, and today completely peaceful, quiet, never changing like always, but on 9/11 quite surreal. I kept thinking about my friends in NYC, having been in NYC on business at least once a year for many in a row. I always said, NYC is my favorite place to visit in all the travels I've done.<br /><br />On the morning of 9/11, I cried the whole way to work wishing, praying, thinking why am I here, and all of my friends in the city are living this horrible tragedy? <br /><br />I was in NYC 6 months to the day prior to the attacks and went to the Twin Towers with my cheapy little throw away camera. Being a rebel, I decided to lay down in the plaza in between the towers and take pictures, never in a million years thinking what would be. I took pictures all over that landscape, odd perspectives of the buildings, sitting next to the bronze statues for self portraits...taking in the awesome vibe of lower Manhattan fully. I never went up though and my only regret is now I wish I had gone to the top.......<br /><br />Intentionally I went back 6 months after 9/11 to the day to show my respect, to kneel on one knee and pray for as many people as I could fit into my psyhe. I read all the tributes on the chain linked fence that surrounded the entire area and took pictures of that too. I stayed for hours paying tribute and sobbing in between, as if I knew even one person who lost their life. I did not, thankfully.<br /><br />In my living trust, I have recommended to my children that NYC is still the only place to find yourself, an odd parallel to the life we live at 8,500 feet with lots of space to roam freely. I said, if you can be happy in this 'city', you can live and be happy anywhere because diversity saves the world and it's what makes the city great. Everyone must get along, and really, everyone does. They did before 9/11. What we are seeing as acts of kindness taking care of each other after 9/11 was already in place."<br /><br />I have those pictures saved in a bunch of media (newspapers, magazines) I purchased that week.<br /><br />Suzanne NottinghamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com