The 9/11 Memorial in photos and the thoughts I had while visiting.

It’s been 12 years to the day of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the U.S.A. It’s a day that for most of us that were alive and old enough to remember we will never forget. Most of us will always remember the exact moment we heard the horrible news and the feelings we had running through us as we watched the events unfold live in front of us on our television set. It’s a day I have mixed emotions about because I don’t know what to believe. Yes I’m one of those that believes their was some foul play in the events that occurred that day. It’s something I don’t like talking about much because I know it’s not a popular opinion and people look at me like I’m crazy for thinking otherwise. This post though is not about what I think about the attacks that occurred on Tuesday September 11, 2011 but about my visit to the 9/11 Memorial while I spent 10 days in New York City recently after returning home from my two year backpacking trip around the world. Before I share my thoughts here are some of my favorite photos from my time at the 9/11 Memorial in NYC.

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Visiting the 9/11 Memorial is something I had mixed emotions about. I kept wondering how such a tragic event has been turned into a spectacle of sorts for people people from all over the world to see. I realized though that as I travelled the world I visited countless Memorials for tragic events that have occurred all over the world. I believe it’s something in human nature that requires us to build a Memorial to better coup with our grief and also make sure it is remembered forever as time passes on.

Visiting the 9/11 Memorial was no exception to the somber feeling I had when I visited it any tragic Memorial around the world. This one though hits a little closer to home because it is a tragedy that occurred at home, but also a tragedy that occurred while I was alive and old enough to remember all the events from that day. As I entered the site I remember looking up at the beautiful new tower rising from the ashes of the foot steps where the Twin Towers once stood. It’s a beautiful tower that reflects everything in it’s surroundings no matter the time. That’s how I felt while I walked around and stood where 1000s lost their lives. I felt like I was a shinning mirror with the reflections of others sorrow showing in my expression. The images I have engraved in my  from that day just kept replaying in loop and I kept thinking what would I have done if I were caught in any of the events that occurred that day.

I spent some time at the reflective pool where the foot steps of the former World Trade Center once stood. I took my time looking through the names and reading them in my mind. I wondered who they were and what they left behind and how all the people they knew are coping with their loss. As I stood their though I also felt a million other emotions and many I can’t believe I had, but I did because of how I feel about the events. Not once though did I shed a tear like I thought I would. I just stood their with a void in my heart for everyone who lost their lives as I wondered what really happened on 9/11 and for what were the lives of all who perished that day taken from us. I spent less than 2 hours at the Memorial before having to walk out. I felt uncomfortable with how I was feeling towards it and didn’t feel like it was right to be there anymore. I am glad I visited it, because it was a place I had always wanted to visit in NYC, but I will never visit it again.

On this day though I will take a moment to remember all of those whose lives were lost on this day, but also of all the lives that were lost because of the events of this day. Yes I’m talking about all the innocent lives that have been lost in other countries too because the wars these events led us to. I’m not very religious, but on days like this we shouldn’t say God Bless America, but should say God Bless Earth and hope for a better place for all of us as we see tragic events occur day in and day out.