Remembering 9/11, Nine years Later.

What an honor it is to present this post by my good friend ¡JAB!, he's more than a guest blogger on Nandoism.com, he's one person I truly consider my friend and in this post, he tells the tale of our 9/11 episode together. It's rather chilling, but in true ¡JAB! style, very real.

Enjoy.

One of the things I always looked forward to in NYC was the Caribbean Day Parade on Labor Day weekend in Brooklyn.  Dozens of 18-wheeler flatbeds each carrying 20 ft walls of speakers were blasting island music from every Caribbean isle you can think of and each flatbed was covered and surrounded like ants with people from the isle that flatbed was repping, all dancing and partying in the loudest outfits you can image.  Those outfits could rival Vegas showgirls.  I lived right off the main parade route strip and every year I had a blowout barbeque for my friends, right on my stoop.  We’d chow down, drink up and watch the parade go by all day then party through the night.  I did this for about five years straight.  My fourth blowout barbeque year I had met a new friend, Nando.  He was new to the City, but we became fast friends in those few months.

That year, Nando’s friend Cris came to town for the Labor Day weekend.  And of course, she wanted to see all that New York City had to offer.  One morning Nando told me that he was going to take Cris to the top of the Empire State building. I told him to take her to the top of the World Trade Center instead. It’s taller and a much better view.  In telling him about it, I also talked myself into going along.

I met them downtown and we proceeded to go to the top of the WTC.  The great thing about the WTC is you could go right out on the roof.  It was a part of the tour.  We took in the beauty that was New York City that day: crystal clear sky, the slightest of cool breeze, not too big of a crowd.  We took pictures from the roof of the City.  Nando even took pictures of Cris and I pretending to jump over the edge, the thought leaves me cold today.

As we made our way down the escalator, we were still beaming from the breath taking experience atop the WTC.  That NYC Labor Day weekend in 2001 was one like no other.  Had I known that one week later, these national treasures were going to be brought down to the ground. But hindsight teaches you many things in life.  One thing its taught me is to never take for granted the small, special moments, and the special people you share them with. It also taught me that you can’t dwell on what could have been.  You can only control what’s ahead of you.

As we walked through the mall area on our way out, we saw a shoe store with a giant Texas flag.  I had to go in to find out why.  They told me it was a promotion for Farm Aid.  I told them, “Well I’m from Texas and I want that flag.”  They said they didn’t care and could have it after the promotion was over.  When I asked when that was they said, “The promotion ends Sept 10, come get it on the 11th.”  As mad as I was that I didn’t get that flag, I think about the fact that I considered going there that morning before work to get it.  If I had, would I be here today?

I used to look at that picture above that Cris took of Nando and me as we rode the elevator to the roof, and I think about how different my life was then, before 9/11.  How innocent and naïve we were as Americans, thinking were untouchable.  But now, 9 years later, all I can do is just appreciate that last opportunity that we had to experience the wonder that was the World Trade Center…one last time.

¡JAB!

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