Off the Cuff / My Other Journal

An Old Book

I was packing old books in a box to donate to the local library. I got hold of an oldie from 1976. It was one of those Time-Life Photo journals on Great Cities; this one said New York.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't give it away; I just couldn't. I kept the book after leafing through it. It depicts a time when we were so "us."(I don't want to say innocent, as many do, so I'll say us.)

Besides the city vistas, I gazed at the portraits of NewYorkers at work or at play all wrapped up in their worlds. NewYorkers are a distinct breed. To me, they have always represented life in its liveliest.

Just when I was about to close the book, I got startled by the shocking photo of the twin towers taken from a slanting camera angle. Underneath were these words almost like a premonition, "One of the 110-storey towers of the World Trade Center slices a chunk out of its twin with its shadow."
As shadows of both towers will forever shadow my heart.

I'm keeping this book till eternity.