Recently got back from a trip up to Connecticut to visit family.  While there, we visited NYC as we usually do when we are in that area.   Since we have been there many times, we don’t need to visit the usual tourist sites ( Statue of Liberty, etc.).  We like to visit neighborhoods to get a taste of what each has to offer.

This time, however our objective was to go to Ground Zero and see the finished park and visit the 9/11 museum.   The anniversary is around the corner too – it’s hard to imagine it’s been 14 years since that horrible day.   We had figured on 2 hours of time to see the grounds and museum.   We purchased our tickets on line the night before and thus when we arrived off the subway at Fulton Station, we were happy to go right past all the lines waiting to get tickets and got right into the museum.   If you go, make sure you do this.   Save TONS of time.

Once inside we were immediately struck by the lack of noise.   Very little talking even though there were hundreds of folks inside along with us.   You first encounter a beautiful photograph of the NYC Skyline taken from Brooklyn the very morning before the attacks.  It was really a gorgeous pre-fall  morning, with clear blue skies that made the Twin Towers really stand out on the skyline.  Then you see a dark piece on the wall that shows the flight path’s of the planes that were hijacked- (photo included here).  It is there that you hear the voices of people telling you where they were when they heard the towers had been hit and what people were thinking.   It brought that day back very vividly for me.  Not only was it horrible to witness what was happening to all those in NYC and Washington…but it was the first time in my life (and I was almost 41 at that time) that I felt unsafe in my own country.   No one knew what was coming next and it was frightening.  I suppose I was blessed to live 41 years without ever feeling insecure in the U.S.

There was so much to see in the museum – the stairs that survived the collapse of the North Tower….pieces of twisted metal from the superstructure…what was left of the cell tower on one of the buildings…a semi-flattened fire truck…a wall behind which reposed the remains of those who were never recovered.   There was a room with the photograph of every victim – including those who died in the planes as well as those who perished when the towers were bombed in 1993.  I met an older couple whose son worked on the 96th floor of one of the towers.   He went in late that day, Thank God.   What struck me was how young most of the people of wall were.  They were working people.   Many of them with young families. They were educated.   The best and brightest of our world.   Struck down by barbarians.

Then hardest of all was the exhibit of artifacts that were found in the rubble.   Credit Cards, ID lanyards, wallets, purses, glasses.   Pieces of the airplanes, children’s clothing, money, cell phones…signs left from the buildings and surrounding businesses that were damaged or destroyed.   While looking at the pieces of the lives of those lost, you were hearing phone messages from the towers begging for help.   Firemen and police trying to reassure folks that help was coming.  The dispatchers calling for all the fire trucks and engine companies.   There were so many named and still it wasn’t enough and certainly we know now, so many of those sent to save lives lost theirs as well.   All the news feeds from that morning…the Today show hosts trying to make sense of what was going on that day.  It was overwhelming.  A horrible and wonderful tribute.

We were there for 3+ hours and we could’ve stayed longer.   The infinity pools outside that mark the footprint of the two towers were peaceful and fitting tributes.  Names of all the victims carved in brass around the pools had flowers stuck in the lettering here and there as folks who knew victims left them in remembrance.   The Freedom Tower nearby stands 1776 ft tall with gleaming glass and stainless steel.  It’s a wonderful museum that everyone should visit so that we teach our children about the bravery and perseverance of the American people and so that we never have to witness something so horrific again.  NEVER FORGET.