It was 9-10-2001..

I was driving home from Pratt on McGuinness Boulevard when I saw the Twin Towers in person for the last time. It was September 10, 2001.

It was a foggy, rainy night. As I headed north, I could see them through my left window, rising above the clouds, triumphant over the heavy weather.

I felt proud. Pride was what I always felt when I saw the “two brothers.” I kept driving, blowing cigarette smoke out the window, glancing over at them and smiling.

This is the greatest city on earth, I thought to myself.

Then, for maybe 10 or 15 seconds, the towers were gone. A heavy cloud moved in front of them, blocking their light and their shape. I froze.

I was exhausted. When I noticed they weren’t there, I did a quick double take. My heart skipped. Then, of course, I realized they were only hidden behind a large, low rain cloud.

But that 15-second gap felt like an hour.

When they reappeared, I thought to myself: Thank God those towers are never going anywhere. Thank God.