...of the first time I saw the Towers up close and personal. In the early part of 2001 I was still an architecture major, and we were in the city researching a site for an imagination exercise in park design. When we finished our measuring and other observations, we still had some time to goof around in Manhattan before we had to leave. Quite a few kids at my school are from NYC, so there was brief talk about checking out some dumb touristy stuff for the benefit of those of us from farther afield.

"I guess we could try going up to the top of the Twin Towers if you want. But I think they're closed by now."

"Oh...isn't that kind of far away, anyway?" I asked.

"No..." he pointed to the building diagonally across the street. "That's them, right there."

"Really? That's...it?"

"Yup."

"Huh, I don't know..." I said, squinting up at them. "I always expected them to be less...ugly."

He smiled. "Yeah, they look a lot better in the skyline than right up front here. We could try bothering them...you wanna go?"

Several more appealing options had already been presented that involved being warm and indoors, and I'd had enough of surveying the location by this point anyway. I shrugged and made a noncommital grunt. He nodded.

"Well, a view's a view," he said. I turned back to him and smiled.

"Yeah...it's not like they're gonna fall down or anything...they'll still be here later."

>.< D'oh. Sorry, everybody. My bad.

I never did get to go up them, either. That'll teach me to seize opportunities when they present themselves.

Beth