My wife Stephanie surprised me with a trip to New York city for
my birthday, September 11th.
Dear Editor,
My wife Stephanie surprised me with a trip to New York city for my birthday, September 11th. On Sept. 8, our first full day in New York, we awoke to a beautiful day, eventually making our way to the World Trade Center. We traveled by elevator to the observation deck. When we entered the elevator, a young man greeted us; he was about 19 with a great smile. As the elevator climbed floor after floor, we laughed and made small talk with him. He mentioned he worked there while going to college.
As we got off the elevator, with that great smile, he said “Have a great time in New York City, and Happy Birthday.” We spent about an hour at the observation deck. A young woman offered us a souvenir photo. I do not know why, but again, I noticed what a great smile she had. We spent the better part of the afternoon around the Trade Center complex relaxing in the sun, listening to live music. On my birthday, September 11th, we had planned to rise early, and catch the ferry in Battery Park to visit Ellis Island. When the alarm went off, still tired from the night before we chose to sleep a little longer. As we awoke and got ready for the day, we turned on the TV to see one of the Twin Towers on fire. Was this real? Was it a drill? Just as we learned the reality, the second tower was struck. We watched transfixed on the TV as the events unfolded.
As the towers burned, then collapsed, my mind went instantly to the young man in the elevator, and the young woman in the photo booth. Were they at work? Were they ok? Had those smiles turned to fear and anguish? To this day, I have no idea, but those smiles are frozen in my memory, and I hope against all odds that they some how survived that terrible day.
As we walked the empty streets that night, I knew my birthday would never be the same. Stephanie and I reflect often on our decision to bypass our early departure that would have put us directly in the path of the events of that morning.
~ Charlie Hamik, Gilroy
