In memories

I had a spare couple hours yesterday in between jobs, and so decided to head downtown. I've been meaning to visit the 9/11 memorial, but have stayed away until now due to many many conflicting feelings. On one hand, I wanted to honor the people who had died there, over a decade ago now. But then, I was also apprehensive about my own memories of that awful day. I bit the bullet though, and headed into the visitors center to pick up my timed ticket.

Entry is free, but tickets are issued so the place (still under construction) isn't mobbed. Upon entering the visitors center, I was a little flummoxed to see a huge picture of the smoking towers in a 9/11 timeline portrayed prominently next to a veritable mound of souvenirs. Mugs, tshirts, magnets, jewelry... my first thought was... who would buy this stuff???

Looking around me, I was struck by the realization that human memory is so incredibly selective. All the tourists surrounding me were just happy to be on vacation, looking forward to seeing the sights. One girl next to me in line actually squealed, "I am so excited!", almost as if she didn't connect the memorial to the horrific day that it represented.

Security was pretty strict, and everyone had to go through metal detectors before moving on to the gardens. Under the shadow of the still-in-construction Freedom Tower, two huge hollows in the ground represented the 'footprint' of the old towers.

The almost-complete Freedom Tower

The square indentations were ringed with water spouts, so that water streamed down into the ground, almost like buckets of tears. Trees lined the area, creating a quiet oasis in the busy city.

Humongous square 'footprints'

Names of all the victims, etched around the two fountains

It was surprisingly difficult to be there, even though I lived in the exact neighborhood not long ago. I suspect that selective memory will triumph at the end though; as the new tower opens up for business, the memorial will just become part of the hustle and bustle of downtown Manhattan. And perhaps that isn't such a bad thing... for everyone to remember, but also to heal.