"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story"

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Geo: 40.7528, -73.9853

DAY FOUR

"Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story"

9/11 Memorial/Museum

UPDATE:

I think I jumped the gun using "Blow Us All Away" for yesterday's headline. Tonight there was a bombing in New York's Chelsea district, near Little Italy, not far from Subway Line “R” which we took north early evening. The explosion went off about 8:30; 29 people were injured. Several other “pressure cooker” bombs were found in the area.

Thanks for all who inquired as to our safety. We are just fine. Perhaps because we are safe and sound, it didn't seem like that big a deal. We're tourists you know. The New Yorkers seem on edge.

9/11 Memorial

This morning we took the subway downtown to the 9/11 Museum/Memorial. We looked like a bunch of rubes trying to figure out our subway path. The weekend schedule threw us off, so we had to reroute ourselves – thanks to the kindness of strangers.

We met up with my friend/bridesmaid Suzanne Hrubes Yachechak, who drove in from Hackensack, NJ.

First up: those who hadn't visited the outdoor Memorial took an escorted tour of the grounds, which brought all of them to tears.

Debby reports there was an eerie solemnity to the grounds where the towers fell. Though there were many 1000s of visitors, there was a reverent silence. Their tour guide was excellent, well informed and on the verge of tears himself throughout the 45-minute tour. He explained the process of how they decided what to build and who would design it. Plans and suggestions were submitted from dozens of countries and 49 states

He explained that the names of the victims are not in alphabetical order, but rather grouped by what tower they were in, what company they worked for, what flight they were on, what fire station they represented, etc.

Many names had white roses on them, put there annually by the museum on their birthday; or yellow/red roses left by friends or family members. They loved all the stories he shared about those honored there. Like Betty Ong, American Airlines flight #11 attendant who was the first to report the disaster … before it even occurred.

And Mychal Judge, Franciscan friar and Catholic priest who served as a chaplain to the New York City Fire Department. He was killed while serving in that capacity, becoming the first certified fatality of the attacks.

They were also introduced to the Survivor Tree – a callery pear – which sustained extensive damage, but survived the disaster. The tree with lifeless limbs, snapped roots and blackened trunk was freed from the piles of smoldering rubble in the plaza of the World Trade Center. With some care and love, it is now thriving.

The tree's survival bolstered the spirits of recovery workers, so then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested collecting seeds and growing sapplings for a new generation of trees. "The Survivor Tree has become a symbol of resilience and renewal and an emblem of rebirth." Seedlings and sapplings are now sent to other towns suffering losses, tying the 9/11 incident to the communities' own losses.

9/11 Museum

Inside, we opted to rent audio cassettes to tour the museum. $7 each and an elaborate check-in process that involves them keeping your ID until you return the equipment. To save money, you can download the free app (9/11 Museum app) and use your own headphones/earphones -- no cost. An in-between choice, if you have your smartphone but not your earphones, is to rent a headset only for $2 and use the app. CAUTION: The app eats up your phone battery at a deadly pace.

Robert DeNiro, native New Yorker, narrates. The stories are interesting and moving. The artifacts are fascinating. See the adjacent photo of the twisted steel beams which buckled at the impact of the jet. There is a demolished fire truck from Ladder 3 … sheered-off foundation beams … a set of concrete stairs that lead 1000s of survivors out of harm's way … and more.

Most interesting are the archives. At the request of the families, no photos are allowed. Too bad because it is all so moving and there are people, things, places you would like to etch in your memory with a photo or two.

Aside: Those of you who know me know there is an OCD side of me. 9/11 is one of those things (besides Hamilton) I obsess on. I have probably watched 40 documentaries about that day and the aftermath. As a result, there is very little in the museum that I didn't already know. And because of that, I didn't cry. There were others who sobbed, so bring along a fistful of tissues.

What I found most interesting were the artifacts ... plane windows ... a bicycle rack with six bicycles chained to it, never claimed ... a sign that read "I ❤ NY even more." One fireman saved an ordinary playing card that he found on his way down the stairs. It was the only thing normal and undamaged he was able to rescue that day. He kept it in his pocket as a good luck charm.

There are lots of sound clips ... real voice clips from cell phones, calls to family and to 911, news footage and more. The families served on committees to help determine content, treatment and policy.

We started our visit at 10 am and departed at 6 pm. About mid-point we took a break and had lunch in the museum cafe. Decent food. Handy.

The two films (about 15 minutes each) came highly recommended. We found them underwhelming. Certainly not worth 30-40 minutes standing in line unless you know absolutely nothing about that day.

The ladies loved the outdoor group tour ($15 over and above the $18-24 Museum admission). I personally wish we had done a before-hours guided tour of the interior. It was exceptionally crowded and it was difficult to see everything. On the other hand, there was so much to see that you couldn't possibly see it all. A puzzlement.

Next up was a ride to the top of the Freedom Tower, the new 100-story tower with an incredible panoramic view of the whole city. $37 for seniors. Yikes! Not sure it was worth it but we were here for the experience and Kathy had never seen the city from a bird's eye view.

What delighted me most was a surround movie in the elevator as you made the 60-second climb to the Observation Deck. The video showed scenes of Manhattan in time lapse, from when it was a marshy island with no residents to the skyline on the morning and evening of 9/11 to today with the Freedom Tower as part of the landscape. As the video raced through the years, you could see what New York looked like during Hamilton's days. It was mind blowing.

We took the obligatory photos ... me with a real camera ... the Japanese and the youngsters with selfie sticks. Many of the younger visitors have no memory of their own about the day the rest of us will never forget. This museum/memorial complex may be their first and most impressionable exposure to that horrible day.

By 6 pm we were exhausted. We took the subway north from the Oculus (dove design) station at One World Trade Center. We passed through the stop at 23rd where two hours later New York would go through another fearful night. The 4” headlines in the morning would read: "New York Bomb!"

When we got back to our place, we all had an extreme need to raise our feet. Knees, heels, backs had all given out. We had done the Bataan death march, as Patrick calls it when he travels with me. We had pushed ourselves beyond exhaustion.

We had had plans to dine in Little Italy but we just couldn't rally our feet. We opted instead for a food cart offering, which every trip to NYC should include. Vanna insisted on The Halal Guys at 53rd & 6th for Chicken & Rice. It was adequate enough, even though Vanna thinks it's divine. Debby and I split one which was plenty so our dinner cost us $3.50 each. Decent eats for a college kid on a budget. Not so decent when compared to some of our other meals this week.

The other real feature? According to Vanna, "Halal Guys saved our lives!" If we hadn't opted for food truck as a substitute for good Italian, we would probably have been eating at Eataly, close to the bombing site. Our guardian angels were looking out for us.

We closed the evening with some games that Debby and Vanna brought along. We sucked at them but the stupid answers made us laugh hysterically. And that's what it's all about on these girls' trips.

Hamilton notation: Who lives, who dies, who tells your story.

One of the most beautiful songs from Hamilton is the final number, performed by the rest of the cast with the lead character dead. (Spoiler alert: Hamilton dies at the end!). They talk about their impressions of the Founding Father and describe his impact on their lives. Eliza tells how she spends the next 50 years rebuilding his reputation and making sure his story is told.

This is, in fact, what the 9/11 Memorial is all about. It is about those who lived, those who died and it tells their stories.

Lin-Manuel Miranda (and biographer Ron Chernow) carried on Eliza's work, preserving Alexander's memory and telling his story. It's a story we should all know. It gets us in touch with our nation's history and helps us identify with those who played major roles. It's a masterpiece of education.

So is the 9/11 Memorial.

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Photos

Waterford ball for 2001 New Year's Eve ball drop
Etch with names of those who died in 9/11 disaster

Comments

[Hrubes, Barbara]

Fabulous writing! I felt I was there and can't wait to get to the museum! Stay safe and have a good trip home!

[Wierda, Kay]

I'm enjoying your trip :)

[Early, Beth]

Tommye, Your parents' investment in your education was certainly not wasted. Your descriptions of everything made me feel like I was along for the trip. However, your words about 9/11 had me reliving the day, remembering that both Mom and D
ad were still alive, how I took dinner over to them that evening, but choosing to eat alone as I knew they would be remembering all the events in their lifetime which people remember their exact location upon learning about them. Also, being alone seemed somehow appropriate, knowing how very many people were feeling very alone that evening. Your words transcended the miles and had me in tears with all the others. Thank you so much for allowing me to tag along!