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Today the weather is perfect blue skies as it was 11 years ago. I find myself reflecting on the horrid events of that day. I’ve written about them in past posts, and will not repeat. Instead, a few images from my second visit to the 9/11 Memorial in downtown NYC, which honors the victims of 9/11/2001 and 2/26/1993.

Above is the South Pool. I have mixed feelings about the reflecting pools of water. While beautiful, there’s something about the water that seems to fall endlessly down that chills me.  Maybe it’s the contrast to how the buildings once seemed to climb endlessly up.

The “Survivor Tree”

I learned from the guild book that this Callery pear tree was planted on the original World Trade Center plaza in the 1970s. After 9/11, workers found the damaged tree in the wreckage at Ground Zero. The tree was nursed back to health in a NYC park, and grew to be 30 feet (from the 8 foot stump)!  It nearly died a second time after being uprooted by a severe storm. In December 2010 the tree was returned to the WTC site. It now stands just west of the South Pool, a true symbol of survival and endurance.

I saw this commercial aired several times during different 9/11 specials, and I just fell in love with it!  It’s so very uplifting and filled with hope.  After some searching on the Web, I learned that Spike Lee contacted the PS22 Chorus to sing a “classic rendition of “Empire State of Mind” for a 9/11 themed commercial he was directing.  The first time I heard that song was when JayZ opened for Coldplay at a concert in England.  I was wow’ed by that song, and it immediately made me feel proud for lots of reasons.  Hearing it sung by the beautiful voices in that choir and seeing the smiling faces of those kids, the faces of the appreciative firemen, and all of the NY imagery stopped me in my tracks. If you haven’t watched it, please do!  It is truly joyous and hope filled.

New York Times a and YouTube — Reflections on 9/11 – Ten Years Later - This section of YouTube includes special content from the New York Times, archived news broadcasts from September 2001, and features personal stories and tributes.

Revisting 9/11: Recently published photos by James Nachtwey

Joel Meyerowitz’s photography of Ground Zero,
TIME returns to the site with him 10 years later to view its progress

                                My 9/11 story:

In 2001 I was taking a series of web programming classes in NYC.  Macworld was also in NYC that July.  The summer was quickly becoming one of my best ever.  Most of my classes were held uptown, the final one downtown.  My mom kept asking to come with me and for us to do something after a class.  Rather than that, I thought I’d take her in for the day for fun.  Besides  it being a fun thing to do, my dad’s one year death anniversary was coming up that September, and I was hoping some treks into NYC would distract her a bit. Our first trek was in late August, and we went uptown. We had such fun that we planned our next trek for September, but we’d head downtown.  I rescheduled my last class to later in the month, and I decided to take mom in on the 11th instead.

We planned an early NJ Transit train, getting off in Newark and taking the Path directly to the World Trade Center. I thought we’d start our day having breakfast at Windows on the World.  I was getting excited because the weather was suppose to be clear and sunny — meaning fabulous views for taking pictures — and mom was excited, too.   Monday afternoon, however, I got a call from my favorite Parkinson’s organization asking me to do some work for them.  The work was needed on Wednesday.  I wanted the work, and I knew in order to get it finished I’d have to cancel our Tuesday plans.  I called mom on Monday evening to cancel.  She was very disappointed and upset, and I got an earful of the  “You promised!” and more.  Back and forth we went.  I remember getting annoyed and saying, “Mom, it’s not like the buildings are going anywhere, we’ll go next week and that’s that.”  The following morning my younger brother called me at home. When I answered, he blurted out with a huge exhale, “Thank God.”  Why?  “Turn on the TV,” and he hung up.  I did.  And like so many others, I was glued to the TV, horrified.

A week or so later, one of my friends sent me a card acknowledging my dad’s one year death anniversary.  She wrote that she believed my dad was watching over us.  Who knows.

I did take my final web programming class later that September.  That class was held on the first day that area was opened up to the public again,  and I was the only student who showed up.  Initially he taught, and then we talked about the 11th.  He told me some of the horrors we witnessed.  Then we stopped talking and sat for a bit in silence.  My class was over.