12 Years After

This past July I had the chance to visit the 9/11 Memorial in NYC. I saw the pools. Don't get me wrong, they were nice, but they didn't tell a story. Close by the memorial site is Engine 10. Engine 10 were the first responders. They are literally in throwing distance of were the towers stood. Outside of Engine 10, a man shows up every day to make sure that people know the what really happened that day. He witnessed it. He doesn't get paid to do this. He does it because he truly wants everyone that walks through to NEVER FORGET. 

I'm not a big picture taker, but I took two pictures outside of Engine 10 because they struck a cord with me. 

This is the beginning of a wooden mural that runs on the side of Engine 10. The sadness, the exhaustion, the dedication are all capture in this one piece of the mural.

I took this one because pictures of the faces speak louder to me than names on a memorial. Looking into the eyes of those who sacrificed all to help their fellow man bring me to tears than any man made pool.

After Engine 10, I had a chance to visit the 9/11 museum. They have a TV towards the back that plays people personal stories of that day. One father lost both of his sons that day. One was a firefighter, the other a police officer. The father is sad, but not to the point of hate that his sons died. (Time might have played a part in that). When he speaks of them, he speaks more from the perspective of pride. He was happy that his sons were selfless when it came to saving people. 

I leave with two more pictures. Both are from the memorial. The first is a piece of World Trade Center steel. You can see how twisted the steel became.

The second one, the New York skyline sculpted from WTC steel. 

I hope and pray that we never forget how on September 11, 2001, and the days that followed, we as Americans came together and show a unity that we quickly throw away at times.