Ground Zero

One of the places we wanted to visit on our trip to New York in January was the Statue of Liberty. We didn't get to do that--it was too cold while we were there. But another symbol of our liberty and reminder of how easy it could be to lose it, is Ground Zero. Heather took these photos from the window of a building across the street from the site. As you can tell, it is a construction zone now. We were touched by our tour given by a guide who was a former fireman, a man dug out from under the rubble. The visitors center had kleenex boxes strategically placed throughout. It was an emotional experience but one I am glad to have had. The hanging stone was part of a display honoring eleven American Express employees who happened to be in a meeting on that horrendous day--in the wrong place at the wrong time. The display was poignant. For days afterward everytime I talked about it I got choked up. The stone is a huge quartz. There were drops of water falling into the pool, alternating, spreading out ripples, overlapping each other. It represented the people and the tears shed on that day and since. Our experience here brought back a lot of memories of Sept. 11, 2001.