story828.xml

story828.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-06-26

I woke up that morning, and like many mornings decided to go for a bike ride. My dad was coming along with me and was going to work later that day. I thought it would be nice to bring my digital camcorder. I got dressed , checked my camcorder, but the batteries were low, so I left it by the door. We headed out to the new bike path on the West side highway on 42nd st. When we reached the West side highway my dad looked at me and said "WTC?", I nodded in approval, as we headed to the WTC area for a morning coffee and bagel. It was such a clear and beautiful day! sparkling and unlike any other is its perfect temperature and crispness. We approached chelsea piers, me on my purple low rider custom cruiser, sparkling bandana and blonde dreadlocks blowing in the wind, I felt so free. Just having returned from Finland a few days before where I had a hit record on the charts all summer. I just performed in front of a crowd of about 10,000 and I was still feeling elated from that experience. But also sad that I left so early, they wanted me to stay all week, but I rushed back because I had a toothache.

Just before coming around the bend of chelsea piers I looked at my dad, and said, would be a nice day to be at the beach. he said, "yes it would be a perfect beach day". He rode ahead of me vigourously into the golden late summer sunshine. I looked up at the cinematic skyline of lower manhattan. Just as I looked up thinking how wonderful the Twin Towers looked beaming in the rays of the morning sun, I saw a plane flying suspiciously low over the skyline. "Weird" I said to myself, thinking, well ive never seen a plane fly directly over the skyline like that. Next moment it seemed to be headed downtown , and then I was shocked, stunned and speechless. i couldnt belive my eyes as it neared the WTC, and veered in the building. There was no noise, and it slipped into the WTC like a hot butter knife into butter. There was an explosion, it looked cinematic. But ill never forget that gaping hole, it looked like the whole plane just went through the building. I yelled for my dad, he was oblivious, and I couldnt get the words right. I screamed "look!" , he was looking all around but not up, then he looked up and said "holy shit". I said "Lets go!, now!" and he was staring, we stopped a few times along the way. it was so surreal, it was just burning there, no helicopters nothing. Then I saw an asian lady on her cell phone, staring up at the burning building. then I heard the first police car whiz by me. I felt like paul revere now, yelling "The WTC is burning", as people looked at me as if I was crazy. I told my doorman, and he didnt belive me until he turned on the TV. As I came back to our apartment, I was looking at my camera, wow, imagine if i had brought it. I would have had amazing footage. But then maybe if I brought it, the timing would be different. I started to pack a survival kit, a knife, flashlight, my passport. Then we watched the second plane hit the towers on TV. My dad said he had to go to work, I said 'Are you joking?" , he said no he has responsibilities. I told him thats crazy, but im not leaving you alone. I went with him, the feeling on the street was intense. We watched the events unfold on TV near Lincoln Center. Then that too was evacuated. I saw people on the street running, crying, withdrawing money. There was some panic. I got back on my bike and rode uptown, free, not knowing if the world was ending today, but somehow happy riding in the autumn sunshine on my low rider cruiser.
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