Monday, September 11, 2006

Remembrance

So I made a trip to NYC this weekend. My first day trip since I moved to PA. I'd been trying to plan a trip with a friend...and our schedules were not working...and at the last minute this weekend turned out to work for both of us. I had mixed feelings about going this weekend...given the anniversary that was approaching.

This was only my second time to NYC...the first was back in April...I think of 2004. Michelle and I purposely scheduled a walking tour that included a stop at Ground Zero. We wanted some time to pay our respects...I think we spent about an hour there. It was really a very surreal stop. To look at the space there ... its hard to fathom those two towers standing. Particularly to someone like myself..who never saw them that way except on film. We were touched at that time, by all the memorials surrounding the site. And the storyboards depicting a lot of the actions not only on that day...but in the weeks following. There was even information posted about the nearby church that acted as a hospital in those early hours. We were frustrated and saddened by all the tourists taking pictures. To me, its not a tourist site, its a place to remember that horrible day, and all the lives lost. I would never dream of taking pictures at a grave..would you?

We made sure that on this weekends trip we also stopped at Ground Zero. In the years since the attacks, my friend Nicole has been every year. For me this was my second time. I was saddened that the tribute center was not yet open - particularly as all the notices around the perimeter referred to it - and most of the other materials I'd seen 2 years ago were gone. I understand the tribute center was opening to families today...Probably as it should be...but I'm saddened it will have to wait until my next trip. I was also a bit saddened by how few people where there...Particularly on this particular weekend. My first trip...it was so crowded that you had to wait a few minutes to get up to the fence and look in. This time, there was nothing but open fence for viewing the site. Its remarkable to see how little progress appears to have been made - but the engineer part of me realizes all the structural work that must be done to prepare for the future.

Now..I know I said I hate those taking pictures...but there was ONE thing this time that I wanted to share. Its the only thing old you can see on the site - and I wanted to share it with my loved ones on this day. Its amazing to me, that at the sight of such a horrific event, you can still see such a beautiful sign of hope.

2 comments:

Akasha said...

I can't imagine what it must've felt like to be there Monday. All those emotions around..

I think it's okay that you and others took pictures. Oftentimes in our daily life we get so caught up in the minuities that we can forget the significance of an event that touched so many lives.. pictures help us remember.

Anonymous said...

This was actually just on the news and it made me really sad, but they have taken down the cross. It said they were moving it, but they didn't say where to. I really hope they do display this proudly.