I started to write a post on September 11th but in the midst of it, my grandma fell, was hospitalized and put in to a nursing home, causing all sorts of upheaval in my family. Long story short, I have not had the best few weeks on an emotional level.
After a few attempts at editing and re-wording, I gave up and logged on to my Blogger account last week to delete my 9/11 post. Nearly every TV channel from FOX to Comedy Central had already done a more than sufficient job of covering the events at the Pentagon and the World Trade Center from every angle, complete with opinions from experts and ghastly commentary from survivors. I didn't really have anything new to offer and just thinking about it was adding to my overall
despondency.
Then as I was cleaning out the office today (something I've been avoiding for a few weeks), I came across a photo album the containing pictures I took in New York in February of 2002. I was on a business trip to Connecticut and took the train in to Grand Central station with some coworkers one afternoon. I bought a cheap disposable camera, a stocking hat (it was freezing) and some sunglasses in Battery Park and set off to explore Midtown and Lower Manhattan. In lieu of a lengthy tirade about religious fanaticism and our addiction to foreign oil, here is my photo-tribute to that day which included a trip to Ground Zero.
 |
| I braved the freezing February temperatures and took a ferry ride around the harbor. I would have liked to have this same skyline shot a few months earlier. |
 |
| Iconic views in every direction - I could have easily shot all my film on the harbor tour. |
 |
| Liberty Island was still closed to visitors so this was as close as I got. |
 |
| I love this angle as we passed under the bridge. |
 |
| Me and my Starbucks posing in the financial district. |
 |
| Security was still really tight as you can see the barricades on Wall Street. |
 |
| Approaching Times Square, we passed the MTV studios. This was much cooler in 2002. |
 |
| By the time we ate dinner, all the street lights were on. Still, the sidewalks were packed with people. |
 |
| We took the subway to "Ground Zero" I remember how solemn everyone was who got off at this station. |
 |
| As close as all the buildings were, a gaping hole was left where the twin towers used to be. Four months later and they were still removing the debris. |
 |
| We could see busted out windows of buildings several blocks away. |
 |
| A makeshift memorial was set up at the site. There were hundreds of onlookers. |
 |
| This is where I took the picture of the memorial. I remember it being nearly silent as I turned and saw this sign on the wall. |
"The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war." ~Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit
4 comments:
I'm grateful for this post. You know, back when you took this trip, I never saw any of these photos. They really are beautiful, and some of them beautifully sad. You have quite the eye. This is as good a blog as any, when it comes to 9/11. Let's find a way to avoid this sort of tragedy again! And not be be forgotten in your blog content: Granny. I hope she gets better really soon, and the whole family pitches in to get her in a better place, emotionally and literally.
I cannot wait to go back there, one of these days, with YOU!
I hope everything has calmed down for you and your G-ma, Skye. :) Those are beautiful photos too - makes you just stop, remember and breathe....
The pictures say so much. Thank you for sharing them Skye. My thoughts are with your Grandma.
Post a Comment