A passage from “Here is New York,” written by E.B. White in 1949, keeps coming back to us, adding to the general gloom of the hour. The recalled passage was this:

“The subtlest change in New York is something people don’t speak much about but that is in everyone’s mind. The city, for the first time in its long history, is destructible. A single flight of planes no bigger than a wedge of geese can quickly end this island fantasy, burn the towers, crumble the bridges, turn the underground passages into lethal chambers, cremate the millions. The intimation of mortality is part of New York now: in the sound of jets overhead, in the black headlines of the latest edition.”

But not until a search for the exact wording of the paragraph were we reminded that there was much more to it, including a neat juxtaposition of the steel and glass of the growing United Nations building and an old nearby willow tree – “a battered tree, long suffering and much climbed, held together by strands of wire but beloved of those who know it.” The book itself ends with this thought about the tree: “Whenever I look upon it nowadays, and feel the cold shadow of the planes, I think: ‘This must be saved, this particular thing, this very tree.’ If it were to go, all would go – this city, this mischievous and marvelous monument which not to look upon would be like death.”

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With the same determined outlook, the United States government now prepares for a war against terrorism and the marching orders to the civilian public are clear: Live your lives undefeated by the attacks Sept. 11. And that means getting back on airplanes and flying again, a difficult but, for many, necessary part of living normally. Here are a few tips:

Check any airline reservations before you head for the airport. Some schedules have been changed or canceled altogether.

Get to the airport at least two hours before flight time (three hours for international travel), to allow for new security checks and likely crowding and confusion.

If you plan to fly to Washington, you may have to reschedule. Reagan National Airport is closed for the present and some authorities want it closed permanently.

As before, you will need a photo I.D. to enter the gate area, and you and your baggage probably will get a thorough search.

Airlines vary in their policies on rescheduling and refunds. For nonrefundable flights from Bangor International Airport, US Airways offers rescheduling or refund without penalty for flights through Sept. 25, and through Oct. 2 for flights to or from Reagan Washington National. Delta and American Eagle offered free refunds only through Sept. 18 and permit rescheduling through Sept. 25. Pan American

Airways will permit passengers with reservations for flights through Oct. 10 to reschedule up to 60 days without penalty, but refunds are not allowed from now on, save for exceptional circumstances.