Bagels

I've visited New York City once, in the mid-ninties. I anda few others were inNewark for a conference and took a day trip in to NYC, taking the train across the river to the World Trade Center.

When we got there we went to the desk at the WTC staffed by a woman whose job it was to guide us towards the attractions of the city. "So", she asked, "What are tou looking to do in New York?"

I replied, "I want to buya bagel from a street vendor."

She looked at me like I had just sprouted spots. Unusual request, I guess. But she quickly recovered and instructed usto walk in pretty much any direction and we would come across a stand within a block or less. Which we did, and I had my bagel.

I sometimes wonder if she had to work on this day 6 years ago.

Profundity is where you find it. Many were awed by the WTC when the towers came down. Or by the cost in lives.

The thing that resonated with me is that I had eaten there. In a very real way this personalized 9/11 for me. A connection was there that I could not have felt had I merely watched events unfold on TV.

I considered many ways I could bounce various topics off today being 9/11, but decided to leave it at that and one small request:

Have kids? Hug them extra tight today.
Someone you are close to? Same thing.
Do something nice for someone.

And then (this part is optional, but symbolic) ...

... share a bagel.