We were up and out of our hotel by 9:30 this morning to get ourselves back to New York City for the whole day. From the hotel we took their courtesy shuttle to Penn Station in Newark, and from there we took the PATH train into New York City. The whole deal took an hour.
In the Big Apple, we jumped back on the Grey Line to continue our forage into the city. It drizzled on us but never really rained. PTL!!! We went out to Battery Park to catch the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty but the line was sooooooooooooo long with those buying tickets and another of those already in line with tickets that we nixed that idea. We walked around out there and I was so blessed to see Lady Liberty from a distance. We walked and walked back out of there to get back to where we could get back on the Gray Line bus. We got off at the Rockefeller Center to try to find the Fox News Studio. It was quite a walk but we made it!! We stepped inside the lobby but they weren't giving any tours due to renovations. :( We were able to look in the window from the sidewalk to watch the Fox Business Channel do a live show. Richard knew who the female business guru was but I had not a clue. Her name was Megan McDowell. Ever heard of her? I guess you have to be in the financial world to know about her. Ha!
From there, we walked to Times Square and looked around. That is an exciting place for sure. We got back on the Gray Line and got off at the World Trade Center stop. Today, we were one of hundreds who filled that little church with a quiet and reflective spirit as we saw a lot of tributes and memorabilia from the aftermath of 9-11. For nearly a year after the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, St. Paul's Chapel served as a relief mission for recovery workers at Ground Zero. Over 14,000 volunteers worked in 12 hour shifts to provide solace, comfort, and care for 2,000 workers each day. St. Paul's Chapel became the spiritual home of Ground Zero. For many, it was the first time they had ever volunteered, and they discovered that one individual's efforts could indeed make a difference. The poet Chester Johnson was one of the many who came to St. Paul's offering his help to those who needed hope and healing. Like many who volunteered their time, he discovered that what he took away from this place of extraordinary ministry was far greater than what he brought in. Here is a poem he wrote:
ST. PAUL'S CHAPEL
It stood. Not a window broken. Not a stone dislodged.
It stood when nothing else did.
It stood when terrorists brought September down.
It stood among myths. It stood among ruins.
To stand was its purpose, long lines prove that.
It stands, and around it now, a shrine of letters,
poems, acrostics, litter of the heart.
It is the standing people want;
To grieve, serve and tend
celebrate the lasting stone of St. Paul's Chapel.
And deep into it's thick breath, the largest banner
fittingly from Oklahoma climbs heavenward
with hands as stars, hands as stripes, hands as a flag;
and a rescuer reaches for a stuffed toy
to collect a touch:
and George Washington's pew doesn't go unused.
Charity fills a hole or two.
It stood in place of other sorts.
It stood when nothing else could.
The great had fallen, as the brute hardware came down.
It stood.
From St. Paul's Chapel, we walked over to the Financial Center where you can go in and go to an observation place to view Ground Zero. It was very touching to look across out there and see where those buildings came down and so many lost their lives in just a few minutes.
At 5:00 p.m., we began our mass-transportation rides back to our hotel arriving an hour later. We were starving (having not eaten since breakfast) so went out for dinner before coming back to our room.
We are right this minute watching the ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE beat the Georgia Bulldogs. They are nipping at our heels a bit right now so we are rooting for the Tide to go ahead and put them in the dog pound!
We are packed up and ready for drive into Brooklyn tomorrow so that we can board the Princess Caribbean Cruise Ship sometime between 1:00 and 3:00. We will set sail at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
I will try to keep the blog updated while on the ship and pray it is an easier matter in New England than it was on the Alaskan cruise. I will do my best. No doubt.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Oh Susan, what an exciting and reflective day. How awesome to be able to see that chapel and ground zero first hand. I know it had to touch you greatly. It did me and I wasn't even there. The poem was lovely.
Ppatte
Post a Comment