For as long as I live, I’ll never forget that morning. I was playing softball in sophomore year gym class at Collinsville High School out in the quad, which I believe is where the second cafeteria and other buildings are now, but back on September 11, 2001, it was just a large field. Mrs. Hollingshead came running out of the main building and over to her husband, who happened to be our gym teacher, Mr. Hollingshead. She was clearly in a panic and within minutes we were all being led back into the gymnasium where we watched on live television as the second plane crashed into the second tower. Gym ended and then it was time for Civics and I picked up right where I left off, only missing however much time it took to get from one class to the next. Then watching in horror as the two towers collapsed and learning of the third plane crashing into the Pentagon and the fourth into the field in Pennsylvania. I even remember that evening my parents, brother, and I went to Chevy’s Fresh Mex for dinner. I genuinely don’t think I’ll live long enough to ever be able to forget nearly every detail of that day.
The details of that day are so vivid in my mind and I really have no other event or experience in my life to compare it to. It was such a day of immense sadness, uncertainty, and confusion, all draped in a looming sense of fear that thankfully, I’ve never known anything like it since. Revisiting that day at the 9/11 Memorial gave me another experience I’ll never forget, albeit from a much different perspective than that of some nearly 22 years ago. Gone was the fear, confusion, and uncertainty, but the sadness loomed larger than ever.
The budding feeling of sadness began to blossom for me when I purchased my ticket for the morning of Monday, March 20 the evening before. Just reading the little snippets off the 9/11 Memorial website brought tears to my eyes, so I knew the museum as a whole was going to devastate my emotions and I was very much correct, I left there incredibly dehydrated.
Let me say this, after visiting the 9/11 Memorial, it is my rock solid belief that every single American, regardless of age, needs to visit this institution. I gravely mistook how much time I would need here and only budgeted myself an hour and forty five minutes. (I was leaving to return home that afternoon, so I had zero wiggle room on my schedule.) I wish I would have had twice the time – at least.
When I arrived, the line to get an audio tour was easily a hundred patrons long, so knowing my time was limited, I skipped this experience, but I so badly wanted the audio enhancement. The museum is primarily underground and it seemingly goes on forever. I know for a fact I didn’t see everything because my friend, Samantha, visited three weeks before me and mentioned an exhibit about the rescue dogs and I never once saw anything of the sort. The place was an incredible labyrinth of size and scale that I was ill-prepared for. I was allowed to take photos and videos in every part of the memorial minus the “September 11, 2001” enclosed area. Surprisingly, I’m actually quite thankful this wasn’t allowed in there as it forced everyone to truly hone in on what was happening that day without any current handheld distractions. So please, come along with me on what was the perfect way to end my trip even if it was the single most saddest I’ve felt in many, many years.
The mall at the World Trade Center.
When I first saw the building for the 9/11 Memorial I thought to myself that it didn’t look too big, so I figured my hour and forty-five minutes would be just right, but boy was I way wrong!
Where the twin towers once stood is now a pair of fountains with the name of all who perished in them etched around the base. From the second I stood there reading the names, listening to the water, and just feeling the sacredness of the space I had tears streaming down my cheeks. I just felt so sad for all the lives that were forever lost and forever altered that day.
The exterior of the mall, which was the first picture you saw.
I didn’t think it would be too crowded because there were hardly any others outside, again, I was super wrong.
These beams were part of the original towers structure.
I didn’t cry the entire time I was here, there were moment where I’d stop for several minutes, but really and truly, I spent more time walking around crying than not.
The museum was fairly modern and featured a number of screens that changed as you viewed them, so the need to stand in one place for a while was quite abundant in order to capture the entire segment.
You can kind of tell how cavernous this place was, but this doesn’t even do it justice, and this was only one small section of the facility.
Before…
…After.
These were digital images of the Missing Person’s Posters that were hung up all around the city following the destruction of the twin towers and let me tell you what, this annihilated me.
The scope of this building was just unreal.
Seeing what this was to what this is just gave me chills and goosebumps.
I thought it was poignant and appropriate to build the memorial around so much of the existing foundations.
Absolutely unreal.
There was a surprisingly amount of artwork from the city and most all of it made me cry.
The wall of deceased unfortunately seemed to go on forever as this was just a small portion of it.
They had this room you could sit in and one individual at a time would be featured and during their feature, a loved one would talk about the person lost, it was so tough to listen to.
I hope you can zoom in and read all these stories, but the one in the top left hand corner that is affiliated with the Reese’s onesie was the one that got to me the most. I let out sobs at the tailend of that writeup. It was just such a beautiful sentiment that sent me. This was the first time I audibly cried there, but wouldn’t be the last.
Truer words never spoken.
Knowing that so many of the firemen and woman ran up the stairwells while thousands were running down them was just a testament to the incredible heroism of these individuals. It was gut-wrenching reading about their impact.
In the September 11, 2001 room, where no phone use was allowed, they had film clips of the people leaping from the buildings and audio recordings that people left their loved ones when they knew they weren’t going to survive and sitting there and seeing and hearing these moments just absolutely destroyed me. I sat there in these audio and visual chambers for a fair amount of time after each segment because I couldn’t quit crying. I only left because the audio or video would start up again and I couldn’t bare to sit through it once more. I can’t even type this passage now without tears running down my cheeks. It just shatters my heart. Those poor people didn’t deserve that ending. It’s just so sad.
Again, the artwork was really powerful for me and there was so much of it. I was crying so heavily in this place that I had to go to the restroom at one point to try and catch my breath because I was worried I was honestly going to vomit. I honestly do not think I can think of a single time in my life where I felt as sad and heartbroken as I did while visiting this memorial. Countless others were crying as well. I cannot imagine how much more severe my experience would’ve been if I had gotten the self guided audio tour.
The escalator to the top played an instrumental version of “Amazing Grace” and let me tell you what, it wiped me out. I had to sit down on them steps as they carried me up. I was a sobbing mess. I need to go back to this place with about four hours of time because that’s what I feel like it would take to get the full experience. I had no choice but to short change myself, but just the half experience I got was hallowing enough. Like I said, EVERY American NEEDS to visit this memorial, but be sure to bring a box of Kleenex, I didn’t have one and instantly regretted it.
The other towers memorial fountain.
One World Trade Center, while the building is the same height as the twin towers (1,368 feet), its crowning mast makes it a symbolic 1,776 feet tall, reflecting the year of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Being newer, this was definitely one of the more modern subway stations in Manhattan.
Not going to lie, I was so thankful there was only one person aboard the subway with me for the majority of my ride back to Cole’s because I was still a crying mess. That lady reading her book probably thought it was just another normal day in New York City as I sat there and sobbed, but for me, it was a day I’ll never, ever forget.
Taken at Laguardia Airport and let me tell you what, I really do love New York. There is no place else like it in the entire world and I already cannot wait till my next trip back!
As always, THANK YOU so much for viewing! I appreciate you greatly! Please feel free to leave me a comment below as I love reading and responding to them and in this case would very much like to hear where you were on the morning of September 11, 2001. Well, I’ll be back super soon with another all-new and infinitely happier post, so until then, I wish you all, all the best!
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I’m so glad this experience got it’s own blog post from your trip to NYC. Just reading through and seeing the pictures had me tearing up all over again. While my visit just three weeks prior had tears streaming down my face, I was also amazed to read the stories of the individuals who decided to help each other in this time. I HIGHLY recommend returning on your next trip to have a chance to see everything, but you may want a second box of tissues for the area dedicated to the brave dogs who helped.
I’m so glad you were able to go as well. It was such an incredible experience that left quite the emotional impact on me. Like I said, EVERY AMERICAN needs to experience this.
Was at work sitting at my desk when everyone started talking about it and we watched the plane hit the other building from a tv in a office and lots of people there were crying boss let us go home early and wife and I took our kids out of school. Definitely won’t forget it either.
I’m so glad this experience got it’s own blog post from your trip to NYC. Just reading through and seeing the pictures had me tearing up all over again. While my visit just three weeks prior had tears streaming down my face, I was also amazed to read the stories of the individuals who decided to help each other in this time. I HIGHLY recommend returning on your next trip to have a chance to see everything, but you may want a second box of tissues for the area dedicated to the brave dogs who helped.
I’m so glad you were able to go as well. It was such an incredible experience that left quite the emotional impact on me. Like I said, EVERY AMERICAN needs to experience this.
Was at work sitting at my desk when everyone started talking about it and we watched the plane hit the other building from a tv in a office and lots of people there were crying boss let us go home early and wife and I took our kids out of school. Definitely won’t forget it either.
Thank you for always viewing & yes, I’m sure no one alive that day will forget exactly where they were & what they were doing. Breaks my heart.