7th Anniversary
The years pass…for some it still feels like yesterday, others have moved on, some blot that day out not wanting
to remember. And as the years pass, this day of remembrance becomes less and less important in the scheme of things. Current
economic problems, politics, and natural disasters overshadow what happened 7 years ago…except for those who lost a
loved one. Some find solace in the memorials that have been built or are in the process of being built. But Ground Zero still
lies as a wasteland. How sad. That is what my poem Walking the Perimeter of Emptiness reflects upon.
6th Anniversary - 2007
Another anniversary, the rain fell upon Ground Zero like sad tears. Some say that everything changes so we must move
on, we must put it behind us. Changes…to make progress on the WTC memorial, the Pit has been turned into a huge construction
site, forcing the ceremony to move across the street!
The television networks covered the morning’s events but prime time TV was just like any other Tuesday. It was
not like any other Tuesday, because this day is about a loss that can’t be measured. It’s also about the continuing
tragedies of finding human remains, mismanaged demolition resulting in new deaths, and health problems plaguing those who
inhaled the dust 6 years ago. Dust, a mixture of carcinogens and human DNA!
The chairs for the ceremony were neatly lined up in Zuccotti Park. Over time those chairs will become empty. One
day the last spouse, family member, child, survivor will vanish. Who will truly remember the dead then? Read my essay Empty Chairs.
5th Anniversary - 2006
What have we now after 5 years? No memorial, continuing political hassles, Ground Zero is still filled with dust. Yes,
they've started to work on the memorial, and WTC 7 is complete. Will year 6 see any positive progress? Read my essay "I Miss 9/11" for my personal opinion on all these things.
The 4th Anniversary 2005
As the fourth anniversary has come to pass, Ground Zero remains an open pit. A scar on the earth, its emptiness reflecting
the pain of that morning. Tourists from all corners of the globe still flock to the site, curious to see the epicenter of
this historic event. They are hungry for information, hungry to learn about the events of that day. And four years later all
we have on that site is dust, a cross of beams, and a metal fence with a brief history of the World Trade Center along with
a list of those who perished. This past year saw mostly battles and controversies erupt over exactly what should be done in
order to rebuild the area and memorialize the dead and the missing. Read the rest of the essay
09/10/04
The 3rd anniversary is upon us. The past year saw the opening of the new PATH train station, a design for the rebuilding
of the Ground Zero neighborhood was chosen, the WTC memorial competition announced a winner, and ground was broken for the
building of the Freedom Tower. The families of the lost and missing still go on grieving. The dust still swirls over Ground
Zero and flowers continue to be placed in the fences around its boarders.
It was a quieter year. Hopefully, as we attend our ceremonies of remembrance, we'll continue to
remember the day, those who lost their lives, the missing, and those who remain behind. May we never forget.
Sept 11 2003 Second Anniversary
A year of controversy, a year of rebirth, a year of potential, a quite different year from the first.
We cycled through the seasons still feeling the loss, still feeling the pain. The hole in the ground, the gap in the skyline,
the hurt in our hearts remained.
But the city was renewing itself. The 1& 9 trains once again ran through to Manhattan’s tip.
The Winter Garden had been restored. An architect was chosen for the rebuilding of the WTC site. The construction of 7 WTC
had started. Work had been started on a new Path train station. A competition for a memorial at Ground Zero saw an unprecedented
outpouring of submissions from the world over.
The seeds for the next year were being sown. A memorial design will be chosen from among the 5200. The
Path station will open bringing commuters daily into the heart of Ground Zero. Downtown is resurrecting itself. Let’s
hope that the wishes of the ones who really matter, the individuals who lost loved ones, will be allowed to have a voice in
this rebirth.
9/15/02
It feels like yesterday. The tragedy, the images, the terror, and the sorrow are still fresh even after a year has passed.
As the 9/11 year ends and the second year begins, my prayers go out to the survivors: the ones who experienced the horror
first hand and the ones who now must live their lives without their loved ones. I pray that God will grant all of you the
peace and strength that you need to mend your lives and face each new day.
2001
The loss of lives in the WTC tragedy is beyond comprehension. Never in all of our history have so many people died all
at once and in one place. Healing from that loss will take individuals and our Nation a long, long time.
For some of
us there is also another loss to contend with: the death of the Twin Towers. They were not just a skyline marker or an abstract
symbol. They were a part of our lives, they held precious memories.
I have been connected to the Twin Towers and the
surrounding buildings for over 15 years. I've worked in the Wall Street area, coming in and going home each day through the
Path station beneath them. I went to conferences, job fairs, meetings, and dinners in that vast area called the World Trade
Center. I saw the world from the 110th story of the Windows on the World restaurant, delighted friends and strangers alike
with my tour guide like talks about the view of Brooklyn, Staten Island, NJ and the Bronx. I shopped in the Mall created underneath
the plaza and had favorite stores and favorite salespeople. When life started depressing me, I would head for the Hudson River
boat dock and look at the boats moored there or walk along Battery Park City's Esplanade. Sunsets over NJ were my most memorable
images.
Then on Sept 11, 2001 in the space of about an hour, all of that vaporized. Unlike construction, which razes
buildings to be replaced by new ones, this was not done through a plan executed over time. Unlike returning to a neighborhood
after many years absence and seeing buildings gone and new ones in their place, something you expect. No, this was swift and
without warning. My memories are now buried beneath the rubble. I can walk through the plaza and Mall only in my dreams. And
there will never be another view from the 110th floor. And the worse is that every trip into Manhattan, be it by bus or train,
there will be a hole in the skyline, where once the Towers stood, reminding me of my loss.
Many people feel like me, grieving the death of the Twin Towers. One friend who moved to Puerto Rico years ago but with
whom I shared lunches in WTC area, keeps saying incredulously, "But they are gone!". People who worked on the Towers and saw
them rise higher and higher, have made comments along the line "it's like seeing your child die."
As much as the death of humans supercedes any other destruction, we all must deal with loss no matter what it's form.
I have decided to share with you my love of the WTC, why it meant so much to me and how Black Tuesday impacted my life. I
would like to show you unique photographs I took down at the WTC, my writings in the aftermath of its destruction, and other
items that will be added as this site grows. My hope is that by sharing my memories and my grief, the Twin Towers can live
on in our hearts and our grief can, at some point, be quelled.
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Solo exhibit of my artwork honoring 9/11 & Ground
Zero
Sept. 8 – Oct. 17,
2008
Who is the Questress and what are her Journeys? Check out:
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