9/11 Memorial Recap

South Pool

I experienced a very strange and unexpected mix of emotions when we visited the 9/11 Memorial last Thursday. I have no personal connection to the tragedy whatsoever; because of this, I have never felt particularly inclined to visit the memorial; I have always thought that it would just depress me with some sort of tacky memorial attached to a gift shop. However, I realized the truly awe-inspiring effects of the memorial when we first entered and all I could hear was a constant stream of water. The sound was almost deafening. I soon made my way to the South Pool and began staring into it, watching the constant stream of water. There were a number of things that really spoke to me about that scene. Firstly, I saw in a couple of places among the lists of names of the deceased along the side of the pool, names of women and their unborn children who had passed away in the tragedy.

Seeing that made an enormous impact on my state of mind. I could suddenly picture a jovial young woman, probably in her early thirties, making her way to her desk, preparing for another day of work, as her friendly coworkers approach her and ask her when she is due and if she has thought of any names yet. I picture them rubbing her belly, trying to connect with her baby. All of a sudden, there is a deafening earth-shaking crash, and soon…silence. This imagery brought me to the verge of tears. Even now as I write this, it is very emotionally disturbing to picture something so cruel and unfair to a child who has not been brought into the world yet, to someone who has not had the chance to appreciate the warmth and love of others.

Another aspect of the memorial that was very powerful was the structure of each of the pools and the movement of the water within them. When I first approached the South Pool, I found myself wondering why there is a square within the square base of the pool.

Then, I started observing the water around the pool. It seemed very calm, organized, and tranquil. Then, as it reached the edge of the inner square, the cohesive properties of the water molecules began to fall apart as the drops began free-falling in a very randomized motion. I stared at that for a while and wondered if that effect was intentional when this pool was designed. It seemed like the tranquil water around the inner square represented the lives of the people before that tragic day. Everything was normal and peaceful. Then, finally, as their lives led up to that day, just as the water calmly approached the seemingly endless pit, everything became just as chaotic as the water molecules after having reached the edge of the square.

After, I found myself staring at the walls of the pool for quite a long time. I realized after a few minutes that I had been subconsciously forming patterns with the water as it cascaded gracefully down the walls. I took a video of the scene, which you can find above. I also took a few photographs of what I saw.

The patterns I made out on the walls of the water falling down were like flames. It looked like perpetual flames were burning on the walls of the pool, rising and falling gently, succumbing to the force of gravity. Those “flames” really spoke to me. I saw them continue to “burn” for several minutes, just watching them rise and fall, ebb and flow, and I thought to myself that this may have also been a deliberate effect, reminding everyone to never forget the tragedy that took place in this very location. Those “flames” are a perpetual reminder.

Another aspect of the memorial that really inspired me was the survivor tree on the property.

The stump of this tree was about the only surviving organism found after the attacks occurred on that day. With debris piling up to be several hundred feet in height, it is hard for most people to comprehend the idea that something could have survived amidst all of that chaos. This tree is a sign of hope, of miracles, of the idea that something good can prevail when evil seems to be descending from all sides. It also got me thinking about the pregnant women whose names i found along the side of the pools. As the lives of their babies were so unfairly taken, this tree was standing still and strong, demonstrating the full beautiful circle of life, as trite as that may seem as I write it here.

As I was leaving the memorial, one of the final things that caught my eye was the structure of this museum that is currently under construction on the site. The exterior seems to be about complete, but the inside needs much work. This museum has been the subject of much controversy for quite some time now, over what should and should not be included, and in what manner certain things should be included. With as many people affected as there were by the tragedy, it would be just about impossible to please everybody, so the museum remains unfinished. However, what truly caught my eye about this building is its architecture. As seen in this picture, the building has a very unique shape to it, quite unlike the usual rectangular prism we would expect to find among the New York City skyline. The shape is completely irregular with slanted windows. The revolutionary shape seems to be very innovative and modern. I could not help but compare this to the simplicity of the pools built where the North and South towers had once stood. Through simple movements of water, I had found deep meanings behind the pools. This museum, with its modern architecture, speaks to me in the sense that it is looking ahead, into the future, powerfully honoring the memories of those who lost their lives on that unfortunate day.