we were given some extra tickets to Yankee Stadium memorial but it was
only about 1/3 full though it looked full on tv screens ...

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only about 25, 000 tickets given out out of the 60,000 they had expected
to be distributed.

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We had to go to the police station to collect the tickets and sign our
names in a book..they were very nice and seemed happy that we were going
to the memorial as so many police and firemen were lost. Once we got
there, we were overloaded with gifts. American flags. booklets, even
bottled water from the red cross and of course red and white roses for
remembrance at the doorway to Yankee Stadium they were being very careful
of course, had to show tickets over and over before entering the stadium
but searches were pretty minimal ... Some people were afraid Yankee
Stadium would be a target i guess so stayed away..but for those who came,
it was very touching..

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Funny, Yankee stadium thing danger didn't bother me much, to me it was
important to show that i cared..it was my city ..didn't matter i haven't
lived here for a while....
 
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..on tv it looked very full but it wasn't... cameras stayed away from
empty seats ..
 
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There was a lovely flight of birds as the last speaker finished..NY birds
too, pigeons...but was very pretty......i still have the white rose they
gave me, i even had a restaurant put it in water on the way home at a
place we stopped for dinner in Yorkville so it would stay alive..

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You weren't alone in crying, it was hard not too when seeing all those
folks...but they wanted to be brave and that helped....what did realty hit
hard later was going back on the subway which was free for the
event....and seeing there those posters the families carry ..with flowers
taped next to the pictures..on walls near to the tracks so even here was
like a shrine....

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Anyway along with all of this are happy events full of sunshine and
children's smiles ... found a a church fete.in full swing on park Ave..it
was held in their garden , a lovely old church right on Park Ave next to
the tall office buildings, little kids running round happy with toys and
kites and not at all afraid
 
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this is a city of contrasts right now..dark and light...on the other side
the firefighters have so many funerals to go too, they have asked the
public to help..and attend.