“Take one moment to embrace those gentle heroes you left behind..”

So I’m writing this as I stand in front of the 911 memorial and the minute I look at it I think about standing in the top floor plummeting to my death. The water drops fall and it looks like the light flickering from the windows of the towers. Everything is black like ash covering the air and the rumble of the water sounds like the towers dropping. It’s amazing how all you can hear is the sound of the water. Stop and listen. Really listen. There’s nothing else, but if you look around you’d be surprised to notice you’re still in the city. The water moves more slowly as it goes down and I can’t help but wonder what’s there? Most of the names regardless of who they are are engraved in the same in the same font and text. They are one. People put in American flags and roses in the names I can’t help but think who are these people? Did they try to save us? Will they be forgotten for their deeds? It’s not a square the corners are rounded off.. Why? Making a hexagon type shape. Looking at this water freaks me out and I don’t like the thought of dropping thousands of feet to my or anyone’s death. I’m glad, I’m lucky I don’t have to think about this stuff. My heart and prayers go out to those who do. Some names look cleaner than the rest some are collecting dust. Do they all have visitors? Are they forgotten? I like the idea that their names will be forever engraved. Technically no one will ever be forgotten. Gone, yes, but never forgotten. I saw a tree and it was chained down and I felt sad. It was the last tree left standing in the area.

The Vietnamese memorial is not as populated which makes it feel less important and less moving because for me, it’s about the experience with others too. I don’t have any knowledge about the Vietnamese war really but this memorial I think is more powerful (despite the lack of attention given from tourists) because it’s from actual people who are hurt and impacted. This memorial got the shitty end of the stick though because at this point I’m hungry and tired. The letters are hard to read and my neck is straining yet I’m compelled to read them. I wish this memorial had more people looking at it. I don’t understand why there are doors to go through it though. A person can easily go around. I just noticed I never went around the side of the memorial because of the door! What was on the sides?? Did I miss anything special?! I like how there was a sitting area by the memorial. It was different.

–Farzana Ruzehaji