This morning I was laying in my bed and my eyes were wide opened. The clock said 3:34 (yes, that’s AM) and I couldn’t close my eyes and rest. I kept thinking that at this time, on this day, in 2001 everyone was resting sound asleep not knowing the events that would unfold that day.

As most of you know, I’m a native New Yorker. I’m born and raised right here in Little Italy and have never lived out of this area other then for a college internship in Disney. My family arrived here from Italy in 1916, came to this neck of the woods, and never left. If you’ve watched the movie Gangs of New York, you’ll know exactly what my ancestors life was like. I live in what was then the five points area. Now it’s simply called Little Italy and the Italian population is shrinking every year.

The reason I gave you a little “Natalie Diaz history lesson” is because I want you to know that my roots here are deep. Very deep. The life I live here in NYC is not the life you see on New York Housewives on Bravo. I live a very normal life surrounded by family (all in the same building) in my small town that just happens to be the Big Apple.

To say that this day is somber for me is an understatement. Poor Jill this morning got an earful as I vented about this day. Sorry Jill. I just had to get it off my chest. More