9-11 memorial

Luis Guerrero 

Art in NY

            On November 25, my Art in NY class went to see the 9/11 memorial. At the site there is construction going on around the memorial and in the memorial, there are two big pools made in a specific way. Each pool was placed where a tower was located and they both had water falling down. The pool is in a square like the tower was and it sinks down into two levels. The water begins to fall from the top and lands on a surface but then on that surface is another square in the middle in which the water goes into so the water is constantly falling.

            The water falling kind of gives the person who comes to the memorial some kind of peace by drowning out some noises around the city. When you look at the water, it causes everyone to enter a thought that they may have not been thinking about. The sound of the water fall allows the person to open their mind and think about what comes to mind, and since the pools represents the towers, all you think about is how that day was if you could remember. It also seems that the water causes you to think but to burry all the thoughts that were traumatizing from that day of 9/11. Especially people who lost someone on that day, they probably want those horrible moments to be taken by the water so that they can feel peace once again.

            The names of everyone who lost their lives are very emotional when you read them. As a person who didn’t lose anyone on that day, and did not know any of the names, just by reading the names, their families come to your mind, and you wonder how much they suffered and how much they went through because of this lost. Going from one pool that had the first responders names, you feel sadness in your heart but then you feel comfort that people devote their lives to saving people and sometimes it causes them to lose their own for the price of others. Observing their names and from what engine/ fire house they were from, for example, it comes to mind that this person and every other name on the side of this pool was a hero and will never be forgotten in history. All the names from the pool show that tomorrow is a different day, not knowing what will happen, but we should enjoy every moment of life. The names of everyone that was lost went to work on 9/11 with not even a clue that they were going to lose their lives, but it happened.

            The memorial brings us together with our families, friends, and neighbors physically and mentally. The things in life that are good or bad can’t be taken for granted. People complain about their life, but all the names on those pools would have loved to take your place and still be on this planet with their families and loved ones. The 9/11 memorial has a powerful way of making those who come to see it to reflect on what happened that day and reflect on our situations in life. It reminds us how grateful we should be for having our lives, and for having first responders who are willing to give their lives if a tragedy was to happen.