The idea that 9/11 will be utterly forgotten about in the future is very powerful and hard to take in. One of our classmates, Joe V., said “it’s too soon for these kinds of thoughts.” In a way, he’s absolutely correct. We’re now approaching one decade since 9/11, and it still moves New Yorkers, Americans and much of the world very deeply.
However in another way, when will enough time have passed? Two decades? Five? Maybe ten? There’s no way of knowing what the future holds, and even though the events and deaths that took place on 9/11 may not be as remembered and mourned as they are today, I strongly doubt it will be entirely forgotten about.
The one thing that really stood out to me in the article was the writer’s reference to Percy Shelley’s Ozymandias. I read that sonnet in my senior year of high school and discussed how time changes everything. The 9/11 plaque reminds me of the words on Ozymandias’ pedestal, and it has made me think about the possibility of Manhattan not being here many decades from now, just like the great works not standing in the sonnet. Although cliche, only time will tell how future generations perceive and remember 9/11.
As a side not, one of my high school teachers rallied together support last year to raise money for a 9/11 memorial to be erected in Juniper Valley Park in Middle Village, Queens. The memorial was completed last week, and on 9/11 a candlelight vigil will be held at the park to remember and pay respect to the neighborhood’s fallen heroes as well as all victims of the attack. You can learn more about it HERE.
