WARNING - This diary will be very photo heavy. Please allow plenty of loading time!
Yesterday morning, I took one of our consumers, Brett, to New Jersey to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Brett may not have a lot of time left to live, and I want to help him see whatever he can while he is able. He's wheelchair bound, which presents it's own problems, but we always manage to do things easily.
The trip, however, was significant for me in ways that were very different than for Brett. Much more below!
Four a.m.
The alarm rings. I drag out of bed for coffee and to steel myself for a very long drive to a state I've never driven in before. Coffee, a quick shower, and I head out to pick up Brett. Surprisingly, he's ready to go. I warm up the car, wheel him out, and we hit the road.
Breakfast at a truck stop, then back on the road. My boss let me borrow his GPS, which made life easier. I had decided to not drive through lower Manhattan, opting instead for Jersey. I've been to NYC several times and always seen the Lady from a distance, so I think I was as excited to be seeing her up close as Brett was.
We got lost in Jersey City, even with the GPS. It had to reroute us several times before we finally arrived.
And then.... there she was. Way off in the distance. We hurried up the long cobblestone road to the parking area and I started taking pictures with my BlackBerry. They may not be great pictures...
Manhattan in the morning... nice.
You depart for the islands from the old train station terminus when you take the ferry from Liberty State Park.
That's Brett in the chair. (Yes, I have permission to have this up, before anyone asks. :) )
Inside the terminal, all the signage is intact, but the tracks are overgrown with plants now.
The ferry staff were very helpful, lifting Brett in his chair up and down the ramps on all three of our boat rides during the day. We sat on the starboard side of the boat, facing the city. The ferry finally got underway, and we saw this.
Our first stop was Ellis Island, which is just amazingly huge. It's hard to understand how big it really is unless you've been there. Some pictures...
Here's me!
There's a museum and theater inside. I didn't get very good shots of the museum part. So let's move on to Liberty Island!
Goodbye Ellis Island!
And here she is.
The first thing that really struck me when we arrived on Liberty Island was how quiet it was. Not a whole lot of people. Several hundred, but it was thin. We obviously picked a good day to go. The weather was great - very warm, very sunny, a nice breeze, and no long lines.
Before actually taking the walk around the island, we went to the Crown Cafe for lunch.
I recommend the BBQ pork sandwich. Yummy! Just beware - the gulls and pigeons are crazy! We had to shoo at least three off our table as we ate.
Slowly we made our way around to see the great lady up close. The Crown Cafe is behind her.
As we walked, I could hear so many different accents and languages. German. French. Spanish. Chinese. British. I saw dozens of people wearing headphones, taking the audio tour. Small and big, fat and thin, punkers, preppies, every kind of person you could imagine. Being there really brings home to you that we all have the same desires. The same dreams. To know who we really are, to know more about who we were and who we might be someday. It's a powerful feeling.
I was having a rough time taking a photo of myself and Brett. A very nice French couple took this for us, and I returned the favor.
As we continued around, I heard voices from the pedestal and looked up. Schoolchildren, waving and calling to the people below. And then singing.
"My country tis of thee
Sweet land of Liberty!
Of thee I sing!"
They recited the Pledge at the top of their lungs, and I'm not ashamed to tell you I choked up a bit. I hid it from Brett. I don't know what he would have thought, and I don't know how I would have explained it at the time. I know now.
It's simply that place. The history there. It's just being there and understanding suddenly just what we stand to lose if things continue the way they have. It's understanding what people sacrificed to come here, to defend the country, to make lives that were better than what they had before. It's all about the dream. And Liberty truly symbolizes it. I know - this is all stuff you all already understand. But it's different when you're there, gazing up at her, feeling the wind in your face and smelling the same salty ocean water that your immigrant ancestors smelled on the boat, when they saw her standing in the harbor for the first time. When they saw her and they KNEW things would be better - that they would be free.
As much as we hated to go, we had to. Another long drive awaited, and during rush hour traffic, no less. We were tired, and my back and arms ached from pushing Brett around the islands. I wouldn't change one ache or pain, though. It was such a wonderful day, such an eye-opener for me, and such a strong reminder of why I love this country. Of why I believe so strongly in all the things we Kossacks hold sacred.
We waved goodbye to Lady Liberty, but I will always carry that day with me. I will carry it into the voting booth next week. I will carry it to my children and grandchildren someday. I will carry it forever, the way she carries that torch in the harbor, lighting the way for the tired, the poor and the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Because we are all yearning to breathe free.