Daniel Hewes


Having grown up in New York City all my life, I have endless memories of city life. But the one that sticks out the most was one that most New Yorkers would chose; September 11, 2001. I was just in 7th grade, and much of those childhood years are fuzzy due to time past, but this day is as vivid in my mind as yesterday. I was in science class when my father appeared at the door and took my out of class. He explained what had happened, but I couldn’t really comprehend what has happened. I hadn’t yet seen any of the images or people that I would soon see. I walked out of my school which was downtown, and I walked to 8th avenue with my dad. The first thing I remember were the cars and taxis and buses on the avenue, but they weren’t moving. The city itself was at a stand still, but the people who were walking quickly made up for the lack of motion of the cars. It was a sight that ill never forget. I have never seen so many people walking in one direction in my life. Even the marathons didn’t live up to it. The people who we were walking uptown with were not running, were not screaming, were not crying. They were walking at a moderate pace, most with their heads down. There were some that had soot and ash covering their whole body. Some were bloodied, and some were perfectly clean. It was such a mix in a city that some call the most diverse in the world. We finally made it uptown to my dad’s office. We decided that we should open it up to anyone who needed a place to rest or needed food or water. We went outside and grabbed some food and bottles of water for anyone who needed it. And that’s when it hit me. I looked around and realized that it wasn’t just me and my dad doing this, but every store, every restaurant, every deli was also doing it. People were stopping and talking with strangers on every block. Strangers who they would normally pass by. We were opening ourselves up to anyone who needed help, and on that day, that was most of the people on the streets. It was such an incredible sight. We all came together to offer a hand, and not because anyone had ordered us to, but because at that moment, we all knew there were fellow New Yorkers in need, and that was the first priority. And for days after that, I saw the same thing. People gathered on city streets and corners, just to find some companionship in a stranger in that time of need. We had gone from a city of millions, to a city of one. One energy moving through all of us, as cliché as that might sound. It was something that I have not seen since, but I know the next time the city is in need, we’ll all come together without a second of hesitation.

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