About New York...

Howdy guys and gals! Just wanted to thank all my peeps who came out to see Jeff and I on Friday in White Plains, New York. It was a phenomenal signing, and it's always a bonus when there are more people than you expect. It was also good to see my old pal the Chicken Horse at that signing, along with his better half. It was freezing that night, so I really appreciate all of you coming out and doing the hang with Jeff and I. Oh, and thanks for all the gifts we received--we got alot of cool pictures, cards, and photo collages.

The next morning, as I was flying out, I probably got the best view of New York City I've ever had from an airplane. I couldn't believe how close we were to the city--since flight patterns are tight in that area and have been since 9-11. It really reiterated to me that New York City is truly amazing and breathtaking. And then I saw it--the spot where the twin towers once were--we flew directly over that spot and my mind was turning a hundred miles an hour. I can't believe it's been 5 and a half year since that tragic day. Seeing the empty spots where the World Trade Center was made me reminisce...

The first time I ever went to New York City was in 1998. Jeff and I had just started on the road, and one of our first house show loops included Madison Square Garden. I thought it was gonna be so cool to actually wrestle there--everyone who was anyone had performed there. I drove into the city for the first time with Jeff and Scotty 2 Hotty. When I crossed through the Lincoln tunnel and into the city, I was like "Holy sh*t!"--this is crazy. Traffic was everywhere, cabs were cutting me off, people were giving me the finger--it was bedlam. It cost 40 dollars to park (even for the WWE wrestlers) and the locker rooms were small. We were stuck in traffic for a couple of hours when we left the event. It was awesome and an honor to have wrestled in the Garden, but my first experience was a little overwhelming for a small town country boy. At first, I was never too thrilled to wrestle in NYC. As time went on, I grew more appreciative of New York City and what it truly is. But what really sold me and made me respect NYC was how they handled 9-11...

I was in Houston for Smackdown, sleeping in my bed on the morning on September 11th, 2001. My hotel phone rang--which a still asleep Amy picked up. She preceded to tell me that Shane had asked me to call him, planes are crashing. I immediately woke up and called Shane back, and we were on the phone with one another when the second plane hit the tower. I remember feeling more helpless than I ever had. All of this terrible stuff had just happen and there was nothing I could do about it. I remember wondering if it was even gonna stop. We were staying in a tall building in downtown Houston--I was worried about our well-being. It was a chaotic morning for every American--especially the people in New York City. I couldn't have imagined what it would have been like to be there or have loved ones there. As most of you know, we stayed in Houston until Thursday and did Smackdown live. But the main thing going through everyone's head was getting home--I yearned to be in Cameron. After the show, I drove myself, Amy, Jeff, and Shane home--without stopping--16 hours!

Three weeks after, some of us went down to Ground Zero to show support for all the people working to clean up and save lives. I clearly remember being blown away by the sight of the destruction--it looked like a scene from a movie. I remember the smell of burning--it was so strong. I also remember how everyone that was volunteering and working had the same attitude--"It's a terrible situation, but we gotta clean up, rebuilt, and move on." The people of New York were absolutely incredible--I had a newfound respect for the city and it's natives. I don't know if another city that wasn't as "hard" could have survived what happened to NYC. So to this very day, I love going to New York, and respect the hell out of the people there. I respect New York City and it's "I will not die" attitude...

And I am HUGE on respect. I respect people who earn and deserve respect--and I work to earn and deserve respect from others.

I also would like all of you to please keep Tamran (the lady who helps me with my MySpace page) in your thoughts and prayers. Her mother and family just recently lost their house and all their possessions in a terrible house fire. With everyone's support and prayers, hopefully things will get better for Tam's family...

So here's to hoping that we all have a great week full of happiness, laughter, and good luck. Talk to you guys very, very soon. Take care and be well....

Matt

From all the emails I've received everyone was extremely happy with the signing, and hopes there will be more.  And of course, all the fans just love the Hardy Boyz...