My Trip to Ground Zero

Ground Zero (a Flickr photoset with 39 photos)

On May 25, 2005 I visited the site of the World Trade Center in New York City. To commemorate the fourth anniversay of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this evening I would like to share some of the photos I took.

As this was my first time in New York City, I'd never seen the Twin Towers and had a hard time comprehending what was destroyed. It still seems improbable that two of the tallest buildings in the world collapsed on one of the most gruesome days in U.S. history. These images reminded me of what happened:

I consider myself fortunate to have visited the site before it was redeveloped:

I documented future plans for the site:

Visiting Ground Zero gave me a new perspective on the events of September 11, 2001. I was better able to appreciate the sense of loss for New York City and the entire nation: a loss of life, a loss of buildings, a loss of a distinctive urban space, a loss of a sense of innocence. The Twin Towers were a tempting target because they represented the ambitions of a great nation.

Seeing the plans to rebuild gave me a guarded sense of optimism. Life has gone on, our nation's will remains unshaken, and it behooves us to bring renewal to our nation's largest and most impressive city.

Walking around Ground Zero, I was able to recall many of the thoughts and emotions I had on that fateful day four years ago. Unfortunately, many of those thoughts and emotions returned to me recently as a result of Hurricane Katrina, another tragic disaster that affected my family directly. I am fortunate to not have lost anyone to either event.

My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the thousands of victims of the unspeakable terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. We will never forget what happened four years ago today.

Ground Zero (a Flickr photoset with 39 photos)