Powers of Perception... Some Excerpts

Operative_Report: 5:10 pm EST. In the offices of L----- B--------

I am in my office, on the Hudson of Jersey City, NJ over-looking New York City and Lower Manhattan / Brooklyn / Statue of liberty. As I sit here and take a break from Conference calls and Emails, my mind wonders outside my windows to the Water Taxi ferrying workers across the Hudson back to Staten Island, and other numerous ports of call in the NY/NJ territory. I gaze at empty hole in the skyline left by the destruction of the World Trade Center and several building in the vicinity, and I wonder how these people I work with everyday made it out of the building in time, and I understand why they relocated across the river in Jersey… only a short jaunt on the Subway or Ferry away.

-- Time to hit the pavement and walk-back to my temporary residence.. the Lovel Candlewood Suites on the banks of the Hudson... Oooo La la... --

7:35 – Hudson Riverwalk – enroute to Candlewood Suites – my ‘home’

Walking with my workmate I'll call *Jane*, I had to stop and stare at the most mesmerizing building in my Jersey City neighborhood. An old factory, overlooking the Hudson and Manhattan skyline... smack in the middle of all the Jersey Shore rebirth and nice buildings, neighborhoods, $800,000 1 bedroom town homes, etc… There is this old factory, that belongs in a book, or movie… it begs to be remembered, rediscovered, and breathed life into again. Although it’s structurally unsound, and a bit of an eye-soar in the depths of Glass and Contemporary architecture of 12 – 20 story high-rises… I find myself strangely saddened and drawn to this structure… I want to touch it, crawl inside its broken windows of eyes and sleep there… just for the night to see what it tells me. Listen to its story, before it’s too late and it’s just another Office High-Rise with Condo’s and little shops overlooking the Hudson. Thinking of my Factories ‘fate’ in the coming months is the ‘Out of the Ordinary’ part of my evening…

As I enter che "Candlewood" and take the stairs 5 stories up to my 1 bedroom ‘apartment’ suite… I can’t help but peak thru the stairwell windows and stare at her… that beautiful forgotten specimen of America’s great industrial age… I enter my room and boot up my laptop and open the windows to let the evening spring breezes in, and raise the blinds so I can look at my new found ‘friend’ across the way as the sun sets on New Jersey......

(To Be Continued?)