Seriously.
I'm starting to make myself (and evidently all or most of my friends) rather ill as I stand grim-faced on a table and hold a sign that reads, "WTC!"
It's not that I'm not interested in moving on.
It's just that, the more time goes by, the less other people talk about it, the more I feel obligated to fill in the gap.
... and there's still lots of stuff going on.
Hello!
There are still firefighters going down to ground zero and digging up bodies.
There are still victims of 9/11 in total emotional ruin.
Sigh.
And I'm still going to sleep and dreaming that the Empire State Building gets hit by an airplane and starts falling toward me.
You might say I've had a bit of a 9/11 week.
I spent Friday at this great warehouse run by a mother and daughter who have been running supplies to the rescue crews since day one and are committed to being there till the last bit of rubble is gone.
The babes have got it going, man!
This is a great operation; really, really high quality stuff comes in, brand
new name brand work boots, Carhard jackets monogrammed with a 9/11 logo, glistening new tools, pocket knifes, gel insoles, heavy duty sweat-shirts, over-alls.
This was not the pile of crap I sorted through on September 16th; vast amounts of somebody's old socks and stained T-shirts.
To tell you the truth, the latest stuff was so primo that I started drooling all over it.
I mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, I was there to support the boys, but hell I wanted everything I saw, especially those jackets. Phew, they were sexy!
Is it wrong to admit that after all my experiences on ground zero and in other 9/11 non-profits, I feel a real need to have something I can wear to remind me of my time down there?
Come on, ground zero babes! Send me a Carhard jacket!! Puleeease!
Sigh. Ok, well, I never said I was a nice person. I just masquerade as one.
Anyway, I worked away the day by doing exciting things like filling plastic bags with cough drops, hand lotion and lip balm and then sorting through a kazillion of those aforementioned Carhard jackets, which had already been specially sized to fit each of the firefighters on the new tour.
I think the highlight of my day was when this huge, burly, mustached fireman came in just to give me and the other lady volunteering with me a hug.
"I just love to hug the ladies before I go back in," he said.
I thought, "So do I," but didn't say a word. He was sweet, really. I liked the hug.
On Saturday I went to my orientation at The September Space (no web site yet, but ask for info at septemberspace@aol.com. There I met the goddess Lisa, with whom I have been e-mailing with back and forth, and who aside from looking exactly like Sandra Bullock is probably the nicest person I've ever met.
Seriously, I couldn't find a single nasty bone in her body.
It was weird!
I signed up for a seminar that all their volunteers need to take. It's called "reflective listening," and sounds a lot like the way therapists listen to you. I think for moi, the toughest thing about this process is going to be listening without interrupting.
I wanted to ask Lisa if they had a seminar in "shut-up and listen," but I didn't have the chance.
The September Space, FYI, is awesome; it's this huge space in Midtown with the most spectacular view of the Empire State Building (hmm hence the dreams, perhaps). They are going to offer everything from art therapy to children's groups, to spouse support, to just a cafe with free Starbucks that the early
responders to 9/11 such as rescue workers and volunteers and the victims of 9/11 can come to.
Lisa herself was an early responder, running supplies down to the hole.
Evidently I was an early responder, too.
Who knew?
Anyway the place is great, and they need your help so email them and say Norma Rae Rossi sent ya.
Meanwhile, how the hell do I get interested in anything that's not 9/11 related?
Everything in my apartment is starting to look like twin towers.
Last night my bath bubbles started forming two peaks. I'll be building them out of mashed potatoes soon.
Oyyyyyy.
Do you think they'd give me when of those ^%$#@ Carhard jackets???
