Gathering

Sunday, September 23, 2001

Yesterday I got word that I could gain access to my building to gather
some clothes and documents. We had to park at Houston St. and take the
subway to Bowling Green which is at the southern tip of NYC. The smell
was horrid and the memories associated with it made me cry again. We had
to walk from check point to check point and present Id. each time. The
military and police were everywhere. I passed at least three blocks
before I was able to start heading north to BPC. Looking north the
entire way I could see the giant mound of debris as I passed each block.
It was like one of those cartoons where you see the same scenery passing
by the character....only this wasn't a cartoon, it was mass destruction.
As I approached my building, I saw three soldiers napping beside Rector
Park where I sat in the grass reading just 2 weeks prior. I cried and
hugged the workers in my building. I climbed the 9 stories and found my
neighbors Phil and Hanora gathering items from their home. We hugged. I
packed some clothes in a duffle bag and took my telescope. I look
forward to a clear night when I can look out into space at other planets
- perhaps it will help quiet my mind. I still hear the noises
occasionally, but it seems to be getting better.
I am still frightened.

I have attached a photo of my building: It stands at the bottom left of
the left tower. It's a dark medium size building (23 stories), divided
in half by a white stripe. My flat is 2 floors above the white stripe.
The corner of the tower appears to be touching the roof of my building.
My building is one block South West of WTC.