I was in line at the bank with a policeman at the teller window while his partner stood behind a woman behind me.
I offered him my place in line. “No, no,” he said, “I can wait.” “Yeah, but your partner’s almost done.”
I knew it would take forever for him to get through the line, knowing the pokey teller as I do.
He finally accepted, with great humility I might add, pissing off the girl in back of me.
“Hey, go next,” I said, motioning her to go in front. She shrugged off the offer while keeping her attitude firmly in place.
“You know honey, this is really the best I can do…letting you go before me.”
She sighed heavily before turning on her heel in a huff.
An elderly woman behind her witnessing the whole scene said very softly, “Well I guess she doesn’t remember September 11th.”
The cop had just finished his banking and heard what she had said. As he walked to the door to join his partner, he faced us both with his hand over his heart nodding graciously.
I then asked the older woman if she’d like to go next and she said, “No dear, now it’s your turn.”
SB
Susannah, I find this perfect – in concision, tone and, most of all, heart. Going over a past post of your reading recommendations, may I add one? The autobiography of Gardner McKay, Journey Without a Map, written during his final months and pulled together by his widow. He died at the age of 69 in 2001. I cannot tell you the pleasure it gave me, who loved him unduly in adolescence. He disappeared from Adventures in Paradise and went on to what was to be his life’s focus, as a writer. Do you remember him? Sincerely, Morgan
Sent from my iPad
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I do remember him and that show, though a bit hazily. Maybe my library has it. Thank you for contributing to the list.
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I had a teen crush on him and never knew what happened to him. I thought he was gorgeous and fun.
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I’m looking for this book.
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Me too!
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🙂
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Oh how soon we forget.
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Upper east side beauty not yet 40 so she was in her late 20s, same age as most of the workers killed at Cantor Fitzgerald who lost three quarters of their large staff. My question…how can we not remember?
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Honestly, that is a good question. I know it’s probably easy to take the police and fire for granted, until that moment when we really need them. They’re there, we see them everyday, but that’s someone else in trouble. Yet, despite all the issues we see nationally, involving officers doing bad things, there are many police officers who do their job with dedication and respect, who at a moments notice are called into harms way, and one day it might be us who need their help and care. To fail to offer a kindness to any of these men and women when the chance presents itself, is to forget how important they are. We should never take that for granted, 9/11 taught us that. They’re not perfect, but none of us are, but they are just as vulnerable as us, more so because they rush towards trouble when it comes, and that’s why we loss so many that day.
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Boy, did you hit the nail on the head. The fact they’re into the rescue business putting them into harm’s way is kinda mystifying when you think about it. And what about firemen. I don’t know about you, but running into a burning building is something I know I couldn’t do. I had a friend, John, wrote about him in an essay called Last Man Standing. He’s a fireman and part-time actor which is how I know him. He wasn’t even on duty that day, but like many of his peers, ran down there. His captain…mentor, friend, was killed along with his best friend. He was buried under the wreckage and dug himself out. I mean, talk about valor and survival. I don’t know. I can’t help but be in awe of policemen and firefighters. They are heroes every day of the week. And yes, some are flawed, but we all are. It’s part of the human condition not to be perfect. Thanks for two GREAT comments.
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So much changed that day, it never fails to amaze me how much remains the same. The American people were scarred for a generation, yet they’ve still not got their war-mongering politicians under any kind of control. I found myself agreeing with Donald Trump the other day! That’s a sentence I thought I would never write, but it shows what utter nonsense is holding sway. The US and Britain are arming Al Qaeda in Syria. So desperate are we to destroy Russia’s ally, that we’ll arm anyone who prepared to take Al Assad on, without asking who they are or what their plans are. Politicians either side of the pond don’t give a flying fuck about the people of Syria, despite the crocodile tears. Bombing will solve nothing. What a mess!
There will always be ill-mannered people, in banks and elsewhere. The gratitude that New Yorkers, who witnessed the obscenity of 9/11, to the heroes in their emergency services, will live long. It’s such a shame that we’ve learned so little and so are bound to do it all again. I think heroes deserve a little more respect than that.
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Hear Hear Mick. What a first rate polemic, as Alexander Hamilton would have called your comment. The obscenity of that day is paradoxically beautifully put. Donald Trump. I’m not awake enough to discuss him
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Thanks Susannah.
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Thank you 🙂
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I have recently found myself saying, more than once, “I wish people would go back to being nice like after 911” and that is very sad to me. We currently live in a society with an attention span the size of a gnat and it sucks! The current full moon has really brought out the ill mannered over the past couple of days and my patience are hanging on by a thread.
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Is that what it is. Lots of crusty behavior in these parts, and I too remember how kind people were to each other after that. It was as if we all became Quakers…sigh.
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Hahaha! This Quaker was on her way to prison yesterday! Let’s hope it’s the moon.
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LOL…You’re so funny Top 🙂
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Susannah, I might understand getting upset if I was in line and someone let a friend ‘budge’, but a policeman? And I (and I’m sure you, too) would have let the officer ahead regardless of 9/11.
There will always be those (not just young un-ladies) that have the toddler mentality of thinking the world revolves around them.
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It definitely can be classified as self-involvement the queen that she was. It was also 7:45 in the morning which was why there was only one teller. Maybe her chariot was double-parked 🙂
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You did the right thing Susannah. Hold your ground. And I too like Top wish people would go back to being nice…. ~Elle
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That would be nice. Takes so little to be courteous. The world is just in too big a hurry if you ask me.
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I’m not patient in a line but I try not to take it out on anyone. I routinely let people with less items cut in front of me but it doesn’t happen to me. Until last week. A soccer mom type (who are usually in the biggest hurry) with probably 4 items more than I did, motioned me in front of her. Of course, I did the “who me? are you motioning to me” (because it doesn’t happen to me). She said, “Yes, you have less. Go ahead.” Small gesture but it sure made my day.
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I know it makes one’s day..for me too. A random act of kindness can cause such a major shift.
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Someday, I would love to spend a day with you. It would be the best day of my life. I would cherish the memories and be so grateful to have finally had the chance to give you a hug and tell you in person what an inspiration you are.
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You certainly flatter me.
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nah, it’s just the truth
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Thanks Ma’am.
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