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Sun 5 Sep, 2004 04:30 am
After the horrific events of 9/11/01, pundits and others said that things would never return to normal. That in fact there'd be a new normal. Now that three years have passed, I find that I am struggling with the new normal. What's new for me?
Every time I hear a commercial plane fly overhead I freeze, hold my breath, and wait for the sound to fade quietly. No crash.
I know next to nothing about aircraft, but I can distinguish the sound of a commercial plane from that of a fighter jet. This will never seem normal to me.
I can hear the occasional siren pass beneath my window and think nothing of it. More than a few and I panic.
Most office buildings now search visitors. Some have constructed concrete blocks at their entrances to prevent truck bombs. This is normal?
I don't go to lower Manhattan all that often. When I do, I'm disoriented. Without the twin towers, I can't quite figure out where I am in relation to everything else.
Early September 2002 and 2003, I smelled something horrible in my apartment. First time it happened, it took me a while to figure out that there was no smell. It was a sense memory of the smell of the fire at the WTC. I'm waiting for the smell to return this year. So far, it hasn't, and that's fine with me. I could do without this annual bit of normal.
I'm wondering what the new normal is for others. Please share.
I live in Brooklyn in a high rise and from my terrace I could see the Twin Towers as they went up in smoke. The area had the smell of burning and there were burnt fragments and paper on the streets. In addition there were some in the neighborhood that lost their lives in the tragedy. Why am I telling you this. Because despite that nothing in my life and behavior has changed. As Roosevelt said "we have nothing to fear but fear itself." IMO If you allow yourself the luxury of fear the terrorists have won. I am also a firm believer in predestine when your time is up it's up, until than live life to the fullest.
Although native to New York, its been many years since i was back there, so i lost no landmark, and have no personal memories associated with the time and place. However, what this has meant to me is the excess of irrational nationalism. The flag plasterd all over everything in a digusting manner, and the "hyper-patriotism" with its paranoia and equation of criticizing the administration equals treason, defending Muslims (we've got a huge Muslim communith in central Ohio) equals treason, the entire mentality of a crusade against Islam. I was standing in line at the check out of an office supply store, and engaging in casual conversation with the gentleman in front of me, and he asked what line of work i was in. I told him: "We do security equipment and systems." "You're doing God's work, we need you people." Fortunately, his turn to check out came up so that i was not obliged to figure out any way to continue that lame line of discussion . . .
Au, I live my life exactly as I did before 9/11 to the extent that it's possible. I can't pretend that I don't notice extra security, people being searched in office buildings, and fighter jets circling overhead every now and then. Not gonna comment on predestination. That's a whole other thread.
Set, I agree that the "new patriotism" is at least as terrifying as the acts of the terrorists.
as I was putting my shoes so that the lady Diane and I could go out to eat this afternoon there was a commercial on the telly selling "silver dollars" minted from silver found "in the ashes of the world trade center". I refrained from throwing my shoes through the telly in absolute disgust.
bush, bushisms, bush fallout, bush sensationalism, bush capitalizing on tragedy, and the emasculating of american citizens to the extent that they are willing to suspend all disbelief of the unbelieveable because a strong man team offers to keep them safe has become the norm, and it sucks out loud.....
In the next town over from me is a group of people who every week get together for a peace vigil on the courthouse grounds. These people are verbally harassed, sworn at, threatened, and have things thrown at them. All because some narrow-minded people perceive them as being anti-American because they want peace.
Why are we fighting for the freedoms of others if some in this country want to intimidate other Americans into not exercising our freedoms?
I've gotten over the airplane thing, but I still notice when they fly off their normal route. In some weather, the planes fly over my house, which isn't normal. I always notice. When I see the Prudential building in the distance, I often see a flash of it in flames. Still. I Also get a little nervous about hearing a bunch of different vehicles all with sirens going. As for personal fear - I am not as afraid. I know that the chances are slim that I'd be killed in any terrorist attack. It could happen, but I think the odds are very low.
ack! Dys, that is revolting. I wouldna been able to eat lunch.
I don't know how to begin to write any of this down:
Roberta: the number of people who watch planes in this city exceeds one million at any point in the day. I, myself, count for 352,354 of them, that is three hundred fifty two thousand three hundred and fifty four except that it's probably more between the hours of 8 and 10 am.
I hate blue, blue skies over the city.
I carry my kit with me at all times but I sit in the first car of the A train as a deliberate act of defiance.
In violation of all good New York etiquette, I make eye contact with any person I deem suspect. Yesterday, I made eye contact with a cop who didn't look right to me, but I think he was just tired.
I tell all my friends long goodnights and longer goodbyes.
I like casual hugs more than I should or ever did.
I hug more customers than I ever did before. Sometimes they seem to ask, sometimes they only seem to need one. Just like me,\\\\
We are in the greatest city in the world (what a shame the Republicans came here to suck on our tragedy, the bastards, the jerkoffs, the .....nevermind, they're gone.)
We are the world here, the black and the brown and the pink, that's us. We bang together on the train and on the sidewalks of this city. We share tea. We drink our Greek deli coffee from paper cups and put in another day of living.
The sirens make our skins crawl, those many skins together here crawling. So many dreams and nightmares are broadcast from we who sleep here, here in the city. The city, The City. The city the whole world aims at when it comes time to go. The world never speaks about escaping to LA, the world wants to sleep in the city that never sleeps, New York, New York, America, USA. So they come to be sung to by the sirens.
I don't think we'll ever be the same, but who'd want that anyway? I had complaints and issues and gripes with the way it was, why should I care if we ever went back to that crap??
Still, I remember how glorious an autumn morning that Tuesday was.
such a blue blue sky.
such.
I can't stop now to talk about it. I'm late for a something I was supposed to be at twenty minutes ago, but I saw your note and I thought I should say something, but I've got to go now.
I'll just give you my long goodbye hug
and my longer every thing is fine, sweetie, hug
and don't look at me as I head for the El,
I've just got something in my goddamned eye,
Joe
What's the deal with that island at the tip of Long Island. Plum Island, I believe it is called.
Do they experiment with animals there?
only goats Gus, only goats
Gus, please .... not here.
dys, I admire your self-control That makes me sick. But the telly isn't at fault. You gotta be selective in shoe tossing.
Yes, BPB, I too hear a loud sucking noise.
Bod, I don't understand what's wrong with people. Fear and small-mindedness. Folks seem to be all too eager to forget the importance of freedom of expression. Wanting peace is not unpatriotic. Feh.
littlek, Yes, the odds are small that any of us will be killed by terrorists. But the thought that it's possible at all has invaded our consciousness. I guess that's part of the new normal.
Joe, Yes, I've got something in my eye too. Glad to know I'm not alone with the blue sky, clear autumn day thing. I confess to being a little self-conscious about that. But I can't enjoy those days anymore. I've never been big on hugs, until the past few years. Now I'm big on big hugs. I said to someone recently, "Never mind that air-kissing crap. Gimme a HUG." Thanks for your response. It means a lot to me. Something in my eye again.
Gus, What are you talking about???????
Roberta, understandably confused, wrote:Gus, What are you talking about???????
I was just curious about Plum Island, that's all. And since there were a bunch of New Yorkers on this particular thread I thought I would seize the moment.
So, Roberta, living in New York City and all that, have you ever been to or know anything about Plum Island?
I'll just sit here quietly and wait for your answer.
I know absolutely positively nothing about Plum Island. In fact, this is the first I've heard about it. Sorry to disappoint.
[Pause]
It's no longer necessary for you to sit quietly, unless you're hoping that someone else may happen along who knows something.
Here is your 'answer',,,, like you didn't know...
http://www.able2know.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=893139#893139
Damn, Roberta, we'ved swiped your thread.
Let's try again.
Joe
Joe, No need to apologize. This is not my first experience with thread swiping.
You suggested that you had more to say. Please finish. I'd like to hear your thoughts.