Clear skies. High 60's. Perfect early fall weather.
I wake up ready for a cup of coffee. I'd set it up last night. Just had to press the brew button.
But I'd forgotten to put the lid on the glass coffee carafe. So when I go to get my cup, I am greeted instead with this:
A total mess. No drinkable coffee. Damn.
And then I think, there was someone who did this, twenty years ago, and thought, "What a bad way to start the day." Not knowing that a really bad day was imminent.
It's hard to believe that 9-11 was twenty years ago. The memories, the smell of cool autumn air, and the relentless and horrific news coverage do not feel old. I remember seeing the downtown smoke from my apartment more than four miles away. The posters everywhere searching for loved ones. The emptiness of the city. The bravery of many. The fear. The sadness. The unity.
I am one of the fortunate ones. My family, too.
And today, all these years later, the city still sparkles.
