The Trade Towers

I know that today is the day when we remember the firefighters and others who lost their lives in the madness of September 11.  I've seen the photos of heroes and lights and towers, and it all reminds me of how proud I was to have been a New Yorker, an American, a citizen of the world.

I've recounted that day and the days that followed on this blog before.  So today I thought I would share other memories of the Twin Towers - those incredible beacons of lower Manhattan.

There was the time a friend was visiting from Colorado.  We'd planned to go to the top of the towers so that she could see the view.  What we had not planned on, however, was the weather.  According to the sign in the lobby, visibility was 0 - that's right, ZERO - miles.  Nothing.  We went up anyway, and learned that when they say you can see nothing, that's exactly what you can see.  We couldn't even see the ground below.  Thank goodness my flirty friend was pretty enough to get us our money back.

There was the summer of 2000 when the Cow Parade was on display around the five boroughs and beyond.  I was obsessed - every day I'd bring my camera to work, drag my colleagues around midtown, and find and photograph cows.  One of the days I went to lower Manhattan to see what kind of cows they had to offer.  Imagine my delight when I found the Twin Cowers - possibly my favorite of the entire parade.  (Except maybe for A Starry Starry Night Cow, but that's another story altogether.)

I brought visitors from across the country to see the view from the World Trade Center.  We'd check out Battery Park, head over to the Brooklyn Bridge, drink giant beers at Jeremy's Ale House.  This was the part of New York City I never failed to show off.  Yes, I remember the tragedy.  I never will forget - I never could.  But I also remember the sheer pleasure that a couple of buildings brought to me.