Notes From New York, Pt. 5

Monday, June 3

• We leave in two days and I'm just praying that I can make it.  No positive change in my stiff knee.  Today, I am wearing two pairs of socks to see if I can't put a little extra cushion between my feet and the mean streets of this city.  It's our "free day."  What that really means as that we aren't doing any official ministry work, but we will be walking.  September 11th Memorial site and other NYC iconic locations are on today's menu.
• The fact that I'm not really looking forward to seeing the memorial and all that goes with it makes me feel a little less patriotic or a little more un-American than the next guy.  I'm rather sheepish to even admit that.  I'll never forget that day.  I'll never forget looking at my babies...and they really were babies...Y1 was three and half years old and Y2 was exactly one month old...and not knowing how I would explain it.  I didn't fully understand what I was seeing and I don't know that I'll ever comprehend that level of hate and darkness.  I remember worrying for friends who lived up there...who worked in the city and even if they weren't working, for them to be in Manhattan was not out of the ordinary.  I couldn't get a phone line into their home for a few days but when I finally heard my precious Frito's voice (college nickname), I was beyond relieved.   I haven't visited the cemetery where my grandparents are buried.  We go check on FILove's grave site whenever we get to Pigeon Forge and it hasn't gotten any easier in the almost five years that he's been gone.  I do better leaving such things where they belong...in the past.
• It's raining and that's not a bad thing.  The oppressive heat and haze is being washed away.  Ought to make walking the city pretty interesting.  Wonder if the kids will get weary of the rain?
• Feeling rather useless with all my aches and pains.
• Really like our summer t-shirts...I don't know that I've ever had a t-shirt so soft!  Hooray Gild*n!
• Subway put us out right across the street from Freedom Tower.  It has what looks like a minaret on top of it.  I find that VERY odd that this building, replacing the buildings those DESTROYED  down by zealot practitioners of a religion that is so fond of minarets, would have a minaret on top!  And that's all I'm going to say.
• As we were standing there taking in the initial up close and personal, along come three NYPD officers...SWAT officers...in FULL riot gear.  One was the K9 handler.  Full riot gear, toting the "black scary rifles"...broad daylight...like it was the norm.  They looked like Storm Troopers and we looked like aliens from a foreign planet.  Didn't do anything to make me feel any more secure about our group's well being.
• St. Paul's Chapel and all it's history was very interesting.  It's a beautiful place.  Waves of old emotion rolled over me as I walked through and took in the different memorial displays.  There were patches and badges from law enforcement units, nationwide and some were international.  There were sticky notes with prayers, Bible verses and words of encouragement.  There were a couple of banners sent to the people of NYC from different places.  You see, St. Paul's sits directly across the street from where The Twin Towers used to be.  Directly across the street, yet when the towers went down, not a brick was dislodged...not a pane of glass broken, not a shingle out of place.  This little chapel became a makeshift HQ for the various police officers, fire fighters, relief and rescue workers.  They could rest there.  They could eat there.  They could pray there.  It be came a shrine for those wanting to do something...if it was nothing more than writing a note or leaving flowers.  It won't surprise you that I cried walking through there.  I lost my breath when I saw one of the pews that served as a bed.  It was scratched and gouged from their heavy equipment belts.  There is no resurfacing or reparations in that bench's future.  Those imperfections are that pew's medal of honor...its badge of courage.
• The memorial park is beautiful...in a very somber, melancholy way.  Nothing in its construction or design was done by whim or happenstance.  Each tree, each paving stone, each bench has some meaning.  To walk around the perimeter of the pools and see name after name that has been stamped into the beautiful stone, well, it's pretty overwhelming.
• Waving my white flag....can't do the rest of the walking that this day is going to require.  If I do, I won't be able to do tomorrow's final ministry effort.  Turn out the lights...this party's over.
• Got on the subway at Rector Street and rode the "R" train all the way back to Queens.  By myself and let me tell you., I felt pretty sassy doing it.  Hobbled off at our stop (the first one AFTER Steinway)and got a great sandwich at the little corner market...and a Ryl*and black cherry soda.  Then to the R*te Aid for another drink, ibuprofen, a knee bandage and out the door to NYSUM.  Had to call my sweet Frito and tell her what I was doing...."Yew should see me!  Wawking through Queens like I own the joint!"  I made myself laugh.
• My code, the one given to our group at NYSUM orientation, wouldn't let me in the door.  Just about the time I was ready to SERIOUSLY come apart, I remembered seeing a code that another lady punched in and tried it....it worked.  Maybe I could be a hacker!  Probably not.  I have major guilt when I park crooked!
• Grabbed ANOTHER drink from the vending machine and stopped in the kitchen for some ice.  Downed the sammich, two drinks, three ibuprofen, wrapped the ice around my knee and literally chilled for thirty minutes.  Ice off, wrap unwrapped and then my pillow and I had a good long meeting.
• Group was back by 7:30pm.  They saw Lady Liberty and the Washington Arch.  They played in a couple of different public fountains.  Youth Pastor's Wife brought me back a bowl of tomato basil soup and some focaccia.  "But I ate in the dining hall, I'm sorry!"  "But I brought you soup, " she said.  "I'll eat the soup!"  And I did....and it was GOOD!
• One more day....I can do anything for one more day.  Unless anything involves ingesting coconut encrusted eggplant and if it does, we're going to have problems.