Billy Joel, 9/11 and Learning

24 Hours in New York City

Elliott Masie

Sep 11, 2023

Billy Joel, 9/11 and Learning…

Being in New York City on 9/11 is a strange experience each year. Our apartment is right across the street from the station that lost many of their fire fighters responding to the World Trade Center. There was a memorial there one hour ago that I attended

The day is remembered each year with services and memorials around New York City.

Last night I went to a Billy Joel concert in Madison Square Garden with two actress friends (Melinda Doolittle and Marissa Rosen). For 2 hours and 10 minutes, 18,000 people lived the best spirit of New York - reflecting how we came together after the tragic day. Billy Joel and his amazing band sang songs that remembered when “The Lights Went Off on Broadway” on 9/11 and then he lifted the spirits and celebrated how people can come together. He asked that we turn on our cell phone’s lights for a few songs:

This year, it was powerful to experience the need and power of people coming together - to face the changing futures of our lives, cities and world.

Learning is part of memories and memorials. May we honor, with dignity the past with gratitude and sadness. And, may we come together in the present - to learn and grow from those memories - Together!