Five Years Later

Its one of those moments in history where you will never forget where you were when you heard.

I was getting ready to spend the day covering the New York City Democratic Mayoral Primary. When the first plane hit, I started worrying how the "accident" would affect my planned political coverage. Things unfolded pretty quickly after that, and ultimately the New York City Primary Elections were re-scheduled for September 25th, 2001.

Everyone remembers where he or she was on September 11th, 2001. It's known as a day that changed the lives of Americans forever. So it seems appropriate on this five year anniversary to take a look at where we are today. Yes, the country is still involved in war and security measures have been tightened. However, are we any different as individuals than we were five years ago? For the families who lost loved ones in the attacks, I'm sure their hearts will never be the same. I can't begin to understand the loss for them or their struggle to ensure a proper memorial. Can the average American name at least one of the nearly 3,000 people killed that day?

Needing to do a little meditation on the subject, I jogged along Riverside Park from the Upper West Side to Chambers Street yesterday. It was a nice sunny breezy day that had rollerbladers, bikers, families and all kinds out enjoying the view and the weather. Steps from the World Trade Center site, families were in the park in high spirits. One of the most touching images was a little girl singing while shaking some sort of tambourine over her head, and behind her I could see a crane with the American Flag still hanging on it. I haven't been to the area in at least two years. But instead of the fence memorial with posters and teddy bears and messages, it seems the area has picked up life. I noticed many new residential high rises surrounding the site. Of course the site itself is still empty. But it's cleaned up. There is even this website dedicated to renovation in the area.

Anything so painful is bound to be controversial. The planning and rebuilding hasn't come easy. Memorials have been placed around Connecticut to commemorate the lives ended that day. This picture is an artist's rendering of a memorial proposed for Greenwich. The statue would be placed where the Twin Towers were visible from Connecticut. Robert Perless has an exhibit at the  Flinn Library.

Looking back five years, thinking about where we are today, makes me wonder what it will be like in 2011.