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NEW YORK, NY--July 25, 2002--My parents, my three children, and I were all born within two miles of eachother, on this magical island. And though I now live in upstate New York, a part of me belongs in Manhattan, misses its rhythms and its excitement, and was shocked, stunned and horrified when it was attacked. I went home to The City, where my mother, cousins, aunts and uncles still live, soon after 9/11. Then, The City that so many think of less in terms of its humanity than its excesses, was quieter, the streets less crowded. Everyone, working people, parents, tourists and students wore on their person, somewhere, a flag, a flag pin, a red white and blue ribbon, some sign that they were united with all other New Yorkers, and all other Americans, in this time like no other in our nation's history.

Fast forward to July 2002, and I am again in The City. It is summer, but New Yorkers are back to the colors of fashion: black, and grey. There are more bright red ties with light blue shirts on some men, and a few summery pastels can be found on some women, but gone are the ribbons, flags and doubts so many wore just 10 months earlier. Instead, it appears there is a small digital phone affixed to one side of every head, as people hurry on the sidewalks and cross intersections, and talk animatedly. Restaurants are busy, traffic is typical (for as long as I can remember there's been a traffic jam at 66th and Second.) It is clear that New York is back to the business of business, and I for one am glad.

Still there are differences. For one thing, there are the flags. Most buildings where people live have flags on the awnings or somewhere on the structure of the building, and on tiny terraces twenty stories high, on brownstone rooftops, or behind reflections in hundreds of windows, one can see a flag, or childrens' drawings of flags and eagles. Businesses of all kinds are displaying flags. Also there are flags on cars, bikes, motorcycles, skateboards. But here's the real difference: in order to gain admittance to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I submit my handbag for a search. At first I forget, thinking about art heists, forgeries, or copyright issues in the age of digital cameras, and I ask the guard what he's looking for, because my digital camera is hanging in plain sight around my neck. "The same things they look for when they search you anywhere else," he says, and I remember. Our cultural institutions are still at risk.

What has changed in New York, and what has changed in America, is that we know there are people who are willing to do the unthinkable to us, and to all we cherish.
--Story contributed by Dana Johnston.

"By July, 2002, it is back to business as usual on the island of Manhattan, with some noticeable differences, expressed in typically bold New York terms."

The Stars 'n Stripes appears on balconies, rooftops, windows and canopies all over Manhattan.

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