Ground Zero

September 13, 2018

[day 674]

“No day shall erase you from the memory of time”–Virgil.

Today, Sept 12, Steph and I went to the World Trace Center 9/11 Memorial Museum. This experience would be powerful any day of the year, but it was especially powerful today–the day after 9/11. We got there early in the morning, before the hustle and bustle of the city really started. If you’ve never been to the memorial, it is in many ways difficult to describe. Mere words cannot to adequate justice to the power of knowing what occurred just 17 short years ago.

But some much has changed in those 17 years… the Freedom tower rose where the shadows of the two Twin Towers once stood. And a remarkable memorial and museum have taken place where thousands once went to work and fueled commerce daily. There are many incredible aspects of the museum… but two really stood out. Both involved pictures. There is an area where you can see the faces of all those who lost their lives that fateful day. It is one thing to see the number (2,996 total on Sept. 11 between all of the attacks), and another to see all of the names listed… but when you see a picture of the face, it adds another dimension. The other powerful component was the room where it walked you through the timeline of that day–from early morning and the days and months afterward. Pictures that were devastating and sincerely life changing.

Taking pictures is how I turn my passion into purpose. I take photos every single day. I know there is power in them… because they bring to life reality–even if only for a moment. As Virgil stated, no day shall erase those fallen and I pray my photos help to preserve memories for those to come.