There's an image for which I've been searching for some time now and the weekend's 9-11 anniversary brought it back to mind.
There's a photo of a single man, white or light-colored shirt, dark trousers whom I always think of as the man who knew how to fall because if you look at his posture and the spread of his arms and legs he's in what looks like a perfectly controlled flat fall, like you learn to perform when skydiving. So I always kind of figured that maybe he *was* someone who had liked to skydive, or at least knew good skydiving form, and out of the events of the day I always identified with him because while I have not had the experience of being obliged to leap from a burning building, I have made quite a number of free-fall jumps and looking at him I know just how he felt the air pressing against his limbs and body, and the sound it made flowing past his ears and the cradling feeling that you get in a long free-fall. And in a moment where almost everything was outside his control, he took control of that last long fall and made his exit with good form and even a degree of grace.
I can't find this image anywhere, any more. Searches only turn up the picture of the fellow who probably worked at the upper-floor restaurant, who is falling inverted with one leg tucked; not the person I've been looking for.
Anyone recognize the description of the Man Who Knew How to Fall, or know where a copy might be found? More than the burning towers, wreckage, dust, etc that's the image that's really burned-in from the day, and I would sure like to track down a copy.
There's a photo of a single man, white or light-colored shirt, dark trousers whom I always think of as the man who knew how to fall because if you look at his posture and the spread of his arms and legs he's in what looks like a perfectly controlled flat fall, like you learn to perform when skydiving. So I always kind of figured that maybe he *was* someone who had liked to skydive, or at least knew good skydiving form, and out of the events of the day I always identified with him because while I have not had the experience of being obliged to leap from a burning building, I have made quite a number of free-fall jumps and looking at him I know just how he felt the air pressing against his limbs and body, and the sound it made flowing past his ears and the cradling feeling that you get in a long free-fall. And in a moment where almost everything was outside his control, he took control of that last long fall and made his exit with good form and even a degree of grace.
I can't find this image anywhere, any more. Searches only turn up the picture of the fellow who probably worked at the upper-floor restaurant, who is falling inverted with one leg tucked; not the person I've been looking for.
Anyone recognize the description of the Man Who Knew How to Fall, or know where a copy might be found? More than the burning towers, wreckage, dust, etc that's the image that's really burned-in from the day, and I would sure like to track down a copy.
