September 11
I was trying to find a more attractive title to this entry - but I don’t think I would able to capture all the emotions, the atmosphere, the despair (and at the same time) resolve, which characterize this day, and, subsequent to 9/11 01, Americans.
September 11 started with 4 minutes of silence at Ground Zero, the place where the Twin Towers collapsed - at the time of the two impacts and at the time of the two collapses. Family to the victims and many other people gathered during the day, and the names of the thousands of victims were read out loud. The relatives of the victims were allowed to enter Ground Zero (which is fenced off for the public), and lay flowers in the footprints of the Towers.As the evening came closer, A Tribute In Light started (as the other years), which is two projected light beams (consisting of several smaller beams) vertical into the sky, symbolizing the Twin Towers.
All over Manhattan, flags were half pulled, and there were different kinds of memoralia in stores such as pictures, cards etc - everyone telling their own story. All New Yorkers, it seems, has a story to tell about 9/11.
It is hard to believe that two of the world’s largest buildings stood just where I was taking these pictures. New York is moving on as smoothly as haven’t they been there at all, but they will never forget. Rising from the tragedy, next year the construction of the two Freedom Towers will begin at the WTC site. They will be 1776 feet tall, symbolizing the year the United States gained their independence.
