A Tribute to New York on the Anniversary of 9/11
I am a New Yorker
I live in the five boroughs or on the Island or Upstate
I went to Queens College
I may live hundreds or thousands of miles away
Or I may live just over the GW Bridge
But I am a New Yorker
I am a New Yorker
Whatever took me out of New York :
Business, family or hating the cold
did not take New York out of me.
My accent may have faded and my pace may have slowed
But I am a New Yorker
I am a New Yorker
I was raised on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza ,
The Yankees or the Met’s (Giants or Dodgers)
Jones Beach, Rye Beach, Orchard Beach, Sunken Meadow or one of the beaches on the sound
I know that ‘THE END’ means Montauk.
Because I am a New Yorker
I am a New Yorker
When I go on vacation, I never look up
Sky scrapers are something I take for granted
The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me
Taxis and noise and subways and ‘get outa heah’ don’t rattle me
Because I am a New Yorker
I am a New Yorker
I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct
I eat Armenian food,Greek food and Italian food,
Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food
Because they are all American food to me.
I even eat those Bellie whoppers-White Castle’s
I don’t get mad when people speak other languages in my presence
Because my relatives got to this country via Ellis Island and chose to stay
They were New Yorkers
People who have never been to New York have misunderstood me
My friends and family work in the industries, professions and businesses that benefit all Americans
My firefighters died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers
They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans
Because they were New Yorkers.
I mourn the loss of my beautiful city
I feel and dread that New York will never be the same But then I remember:
I am a New Yorker
And New Yorkers have:
Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm. Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens. Love and pride in our city, in our state, in our country. Intelligence, experience and education par excellence. Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond Faith–no matter what religion we practice. Terrorists hit America in its heart but America ‘s heart still beats strong. Demolish the steel in our buildings, but it doesn’t touch the steel in our souls. Hit us in the pocketbook but we’ll parlay what we have left into a fortune. End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans, but we’ll take care of them because they are New Yorkers
Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are there are New Yorkers in every state and every city of this nation.
We will not abandon our city.
We will not abandon our brothers and sisters
We will not abandon the beauty, creativity and diversity that New York represents.
We are New Yorkers and we are proud to be New Yorkers
REMEMBER THE WTC
Author – Vincent Pasquale, Maspeth , NY
Thank you Vincent for allowing us to share this with
our fellow New Yorkers all around the world.
Only those that grew up or lived in NYC
can understand the meaning of this:
THERE I S NO NORTH AND SOUTH.
IT’S ‘UPTOWN’ OR ‘DOWNTOWN.’
IF YOU’RE REALLY FROM NEW YORK ,
YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO CONCEPT
OF WHERE NORTH AND SOUTH ARE…
AND EAST OR WEST IS ‘CROSS-TOWN.’
YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE AN EGG CREAM.
YOU RIDE IN A SUBWAY CAR WITH NO AIR CONDITIONING
JUST BECAUSE THERE ARE SEATS AVAILABLE.
YOU TAKE THE TRAIN HOME AND YOU KNOW EXACTLY
WHERE ON THE PLATFORM THE DOORS WILL OPEN THAT
WILL LEAVE YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE EXIT STAIRWAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT A ‘REGULAR’ COFFEE IS.
IT’S NOT MANHATTAN …IT’S THE ‘CITY.’
YOU CROSS THE STREET ANY WHERE BUT ON THE CORNERS
AND YOU YELL AT CARS FOR NOT RESPECTING YOUR RIGHT TO DO IT.
YOU MOVE 3,000 MILES AWAY,
SPEND 10 YEARS LEARNING THE LOCAL LANGUAGE
AND PEOPLE STILL KNOW YOU’RE FROM THE BRONX
BROOKLYN , OR LONG ISLAND ,
THE MINUTE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
YOU RETURN AFTER 10 YEARS AND THE FIRST FOODS
YOU WANT ARE A ‘REAL’ PIZZA FROM DENINOS OR JOE & PATS,
AND A ‘REAL’ BAGEL.
A 500 SQUARE FOOT APARTMENT IS LARGE.
YOU ARE NOT UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT ANY HUMAN BEING WOULD BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND
A P.A. ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE SUBWAY.
YOU WOULDN’T BOTHER ORDERING PIZZA IN ANY OTHER CITY.
YOU GET READY TO ORDER DINNER EVERY NIGHT AND MUST CHOOSE FROM THE MAJOR FOOD GROUP MENUS: CHINESE, ITALIAN, MEXICAN OR INDIAN.
YOU’RE NOT THE LEAST BIT INTERESTED IN GOING TO TIMES SQUARE ON NEW YEAR’S EVE.
YOUR INTERNAL CLOCK IS PERMANENTLY SET TO KNOW WHEN ALTERNATE SIDE OF THE STREET PARKING IS IN EFFECT.
YOU KNOW WHAT (AND WHERE) A BODEGA IS.
SOMEONE BUMPS INTO YOU AND YOU CHECK FOR YOUR WALLET.
YOU DON’T EVEN NOTICE THE LADY WALKING DOWN THE STREET
HAVING A PERFECTLY NORMAL CONVERSATION WITH HERSELF.
YOU PAY ‘ONLY’ $230 A MONTH TO PARK YOUR CAR.
YOU CRINGE AT HEARING PEOPLE PRONOUNCE HOUSTON ST .. LIKE THE CITY IN TEXAS
THE PRESIDENTIAL VISIT IS A MAJOR TRAFFIC JAM, NOT AN HONOR.
YOU CAN NAP ON THE SUBWAY AND NEVER MISS YOUR STOP.
(this always amazed me.)
THE DELI GUY GIVES YOU A STRAW WITH ANY BEVERAGE
YOU BUY, EVEN IF IT’S A BEER.
THAT’S NEW YORK !
YA GOTTA LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!