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Friday, September 12, 2008

Seven Years Ago

Chinese backpack
Photo by myself around 6th Avenue and 34th Street.

Not exactly Baby Bjorn, this baby backpack looks authentic.

The fabric had some nice embroidery to it in reds and greens. The rest of the photo was a mess of colors - purplish grey asphalt, the dingy bricks and maroon overhangs of the restaurant across the street.

It looked best in monochrome.

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Posting a day ahead of time, I didn't realize it was September 11th once again.

Yesterday on the job site, the contractor for the job I'm working on asked me whether I'd been in New York seven years ago.

We traded stories that were similar to other stories I've heard. They were brief stories about how fearful that day had been, not knowing what was going on, whether it had just been an accident, realizing it was no accident, then wondering what was next.

The contractor had been working on a renovation in Brooklyn. Standing on a rooftop, he saw everything.

I was working on lower Fifth Avenue, where you can see straight downtown. I saw plumes of smoke, and heard snippets of the news blaring on car radios outside. It was chaotic yet deathly silent.

Anyway, I don't want to dwell on the tragedy because part of me still cannot believe it happened. But then, I couldn't write nothing at all.

Related posts: Six Years Ago and Code Yellow.

7 comments:

Olivier said...

avec l'angle de la photo, on a l'impression que l'homme porte la femme qui porte le bébé ;o)

with the angle of the photograph, one gets the impression that the man wears the woman who carries the baby ;o)

Sally said...

The baby looks quite large - I think she's be killing my back!

How do you spend your lunchtime? Sydney Daily Photo

Anonymous said...

That day was such a sobering reminder of how fragile and short life is, how little control we have. But I know many people who were inspired to change their lives, for the better, as a result--a positive act of defiance against the tragedy of that day.

dianasfaria.com said...

I have noticed that what Spandrel wrote is true as well.
Your black and white photos have such a captivating quality about them Kitty.

Eva said...

I think that keeping living like one did before September 11th is the best "revenge". For me personally, the day made me appreciate what I have, more. I don't take as much for granted anymore.

I love your picture, kitty!

Anonymous said...

Photo does look nice in B&W. This is the original way babies are carried around in many countries, worldwide. Definitely not the Baby Bjorn way but it has worked for hundreds of years.

Paz

• Eliane • said...

Lovely picture. It looks beautiful in b&w.