This was supposed to be the day that we recouperated from NYE. A light morning with some sleep and food and real liquids was in the plans. We had a nice morning relaxing and made our way to the World Trade Center site for some somber reflection. I have been to the site many times and am always grounded from the experience. I was there a few years after the attack and have seen the site grow over the years. Finally in this visit the new WTC tower 1 is complete and the site, although still under construction, feels restored.
Mary and I booked tickets to enter the WTC 9/11 museum. I had seen this museum in the past and never wanted to fight the crowds to get in. That was a mistake as this place is remarkable to behold. Let alone the salvaged portions of the WTC buildings and the artifacts from the NYPD and NYFD it was the personal artifacts that were donated from the victim families that made this so moving. So many of the 2,977 souls were represented with personal belongings and stories throughout the museum. You could spend days in this place to fully absorb the impact of that day.
I found myself lost in the section of the hall where video and audio recollections of the day, minute by minute, were recounted. The flight plan of the hijacked planes, the voices of the pilots and terrorists, the terror on the streets had me gripped. Everyone knows where you were that day and this brought me back to that moment. They even had the voice recordings of the victims calling their loved ones, from the planes, the towers and the ground. Some of those people made it and many did not. The horror in their voice chills you to hear what was going on at that moment. If you haven’t been to the WTC site, you need to go and give yourself time to fully immerse yourself in it.
The day was spectacular and we chose to take a long walk in Central Park for the afternoon. The park is beautiful in any time of the year and a worthy place to spend any day that you can afford the time. We enjoyed a great lunch on the Upper East side of the city and walked the Park to the Upper West side and back to the city. It was a warm day and we enjoyed the hours of solitude together in contrast to the frenzy of the night prior.
The highlight of the day came in the evening with tickets to the Rockettes Christmas spectacular at Radio City Music Hall. One of my colleagues from work has 3 daughters who have been in the Rockettes over the years and they too were in town for the weekend to see their daughter Allison perform that night. Clark and Lorrie met us at the show and we were captivated for the next 90 minutes. You would think that after doing this show since 1933 that it would get stale but the dancing and choreography is mind blowing. The consistency in which they perform and hit every mark is still phenomenal today. Allison was kind enough to invite us all back stage after the show for a tour and look at how the show happens. We had a chance to ask questions to the cast and stand at centre stage for some pictures of the grand ole hall. Someone reminded me that Radio City hosts the NFL draft every year and I was standing on that same stage. Just the perfect capper on a great week.
Some late dinner allowed Mary and I to reflect on these few days and all that we have seen and done. New York is a grand old city with so much history and energy. The people make the city for me. They are crude, and passionate; forceful yet worldly; angry and kind in their own different ways. It all comes together to form this cauldron of fire which encompasses the American and national dream. Go once in your life and you will want to go again.
We are fortunate to be able to visit this city from time to time. It’s energy pulls me back whenever I reflect on it’s charms. Thanks for sharing it with us this week.
Marco