"She was the kind of person everyone liked" Nita told me about her old roommate and friend. Nita and her friend, who we'll call Anna, were both airline attendants. Anna was working on one of the planes when it hit the World Trade Center on 9/11. It's been nearly ten years since Nita's dared to venture to the heart of the city, fearing the pain would break her completely. She's fought panic attacks and heartbreak, but today she won. Through crowded New York street-ways, tourists and taxis; she walked silently with intent. Not even her newly fractured ankle or myself (the lingering tourist) slowed her down. Getting there didn't exactly ease her mind, but released her external fear. The loss of Anne still hurts, but it helps to remember.
For me, the experience humanized a far away tragedy. Nita told me details only flight attendants knew; of how these brave pilots and attendants made many attempts to stop the course of that day. How they stopped fearing for themselves and started fighting for the rest of us. If any good were to come of this, I would hope that we would choose to live lives worth their saving. Our hearts still brake for them.
2 comments:
Brooke, you are such a great photographer and you captured Nita so well!
Brooke, thank you for sharing this series. It's heart wrenching, heart warming, and I feel lucky to get a glimpse of this oh so beautiful side of Nita. Thank you for sharing...
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