<These guys had balls with measurable gravitational fields.

They always did. I know a lot of 'em. They have the hearts to go with 'em.

And you know what else? They go to work armed only with their intelligence, their strength and their courage, even in riot situations when they get shot at. I'm not surprised FDNY went into the WTC. Firefighters go into burning buildings all the time, into structures of uncertain strength, into areas where there's too much smoke to breathe and where there might be explosive materials, if there's a human being who needs to be rescued. And yet, they aren't crazy.

They also give out hot cider and donuts to the children who congregate at the fire house after the Hallowe'en parade. Many of them work as volunteers, in areas that can't afford full-time fire departments.

The firefighters in NYC are different from the firefighters all over the US in scale and exposure only. Little heroisms that never make it to national TV happen all across this country every day.

Mary Anne