Remembering September 11, 2001

I don't want to stir up terrible memories if you lost someone on 9/11, but being as this is my first year out of New York, its strange for me to think about this date and not be in the new apartment that Jon and I moved into May of the year. I remember the day - I was working at Seventeen.com as Online Promotion Director. Our office was at 1440 Broadway. I always left home super early to walk (it was about a 35 minute walk, if I walked fast. ) I was wearing a great tweed Mayle skirt with leather trim, a tank and a cardigan. I had a ticket to the Rebecca Taylor show at the tents.

I remember riding up the elevator with a workman (we were on 20) and hearing that something was happening. I had proposals due, a fashion show to attend I had no idea how to deal with th situation. By the time everyone gathered at the TV we didn't know what to do except go home. A perfect example of this was me crossing the streets to the tents to try to go to a now cancelled show. I think the gravity of the incident had not hit me. I couldn't fathom that people stayed in teh towers. I know I would have just run down those stairs at the first sign of incidence. I couldnt fathom that people were actually DYING. After being turned away by the FBI at the tents, I slowly walked back downtown and that's when it all hit me. Being carded to cross 14th street on the west side. When I got home, Jon was still there. He never left for work - he had showered and was getting dressed with my beloved (and sorely missed) NY 1 on. He took photos out our window. I made it home and we cried. It was scary but I didn't know how to react. I didn't know how to react when fire rucks would drive up Hudson street covered in ash, police cars, ambulances. I remember sitting at Mama Buddah watching and clapping for these people who were selfless enough to jump in, volunteer, risk their own life.

Shortly after 9/11, I started to have sinus problems. Jon and I lived maybe a mile from the trade center, but the air quality was not good and I am still suffering to this day.

So today on September 11, I am going to think about a happy time, the one time I visited the trade center which was for a spin party for Spiritualized when Jason Spaceman went on a tour and played all the tallest buildings in the world. I was always afraid of heights, but will always remember the magic of the bar at the "top of the world."