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Memorial Preview
For anyone who knew the World Trade Center buildings, going to the site post-9-11 is always discombobulating. We can never forget the tragedy of that awful day, but what I’m getting at is more than just remembering the buildings. I mean folks who were there often, commuting through or going to the stores and what not. I don’t go there often like I used to—my commutes to NYC are more on the 33rd Street PATH line. But I was down there the other day and I saw the 9-11 Memorial Preview Museum, and looked at the scale model of the proposed designed and was particularly struck with the reflecting pools of the actual foot prints of the buildings which are sad and poignant. The discombobulating part is that there is such an ongoing construction, make shift quality to the current site that it is hard to visualize the actual size of the model, where it would be. But it is hard to remember precisely where you are in the buildings you remember when you go into the WTC via PATH. I guess it would not be such a big deal if I worked on Wall Street, had to go there every day, but I like I said, I don’t. I haven’t been following the recent iterations of the 9-11 Memorial debate. Personally, I don’t believe it will be built in my life time. But I hope I’m wrong. They have a preview space built. Besides the model they were showing some video, people remembering the day, the tragedy, those lost. A gift shop was going—yes, there’s no memorial but there’s a memorial gift shop. I actually admire that. I never had a problem with 9-11 Souvenirs, which seemed to show up by 9-12. Crass, tasteless, exploitive—I suppose—on the other hand, it was enterprising and why not get a commemorative T-shirt or pictures of the towers. Something very American, very New York, about it, something hopeful. At the Memorial Preview Gift Shop they had classy looking t-shirts, some books, hard cover editions of the 9-11 Commission Report, a good read, a must read. Well written, thrilling and serious—the book details our flawed history with Islamic fundamentalist-based terrorism—lessons not to so well heeded, with the Christmas Day Detroit bound Underwear Bomber fresh in my mind. It was weird seeing that book for—I’m not suggesting inappropriate—I just kept thinking of preview, of implied coming attractions. I always get discombobulated down there.
For anyone who knew the World Trade Center buildings, going to the site post-9-11 is always discombobulating. We can never forget the tragedy of that awful day, but what I’m getting at is more than just remembering the buildings. I mean folks who were there often, commuting through or going to the stores and what not. I don’t go there often like I used to—my commutes to NYC are more on the 33rd Street PATH line. But I was down there the other day and I saw the 9-11 Memorial Preview Museum, and looked at the scale model of the proposed designed and was particularly struck with the reflecting pools of the actual foot prints of the buildings which are sad and poignant. The discombobulating part is that there is such an ongoing construction, make shift quality to the current site that it is hard to visualize the actual size of the model, where it would be. But it is hard to remember precisely where you are in the buildings you remember when you go into the WTC via PATH. I guess it would not be such a big deal if I worked on Wall Street, had to go there every day, but I like I said, I don’t. I haven’t been following the recent iterations of the 9-11 Memorial debate. Personally, I don’t believe it will be built in my life time. But I hope I’m wrong. They have a preview space built. Besides the model they were showing some video, people remembering the day, the tragedy, those lost. A gift shop was going—yes, there’s no memorial but there’s a memorial gift shop. I actually admire that. I never had a problem with 9-11 Souvenirs, which seemed to show up by 9-12. Crass, tasteless, exploitive—I suppose—on the other hand, it was enterprising and why not get a commemorative T-shirt or pictures of the towers. Something very American, very New York, about it, something hopeful. At the Memorial Preview Gift Shop they had classy looking t-shirts, some books, hard cover editions of the 9-11 Commission Report, a good read, a must read. Well written, thrilling and serious—the book details our flawed history with Islamic fundamentalist-based terrorism—lessons not to so well heeded, with the Christmas Day Detroit bound Underwear Bomber fresh in my mind. It was weird seeing that book for—I’m not suggesting inappropriate—I just kept thinking of preview, of implied coming attractions. I always get discombobulated down there.
Those were nice plan. The design looks good too.
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