Morning at Ground Zero
Friday, September 9, 2011 
It's hard to believe that it's the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Where were you when the events unfolded? The National Geographic Channel made a fabulous Facebook app that allows you to share your story and read the personal accounts of others.
On that tragic day, I was a senior in college at Florida State University. My boyfriend (now husband) and I were on our way to morning class when I received a phone call from one of my sorority sisters telling me about the first tower being struck by an airplane. I had just returned the previous day from my grandmother's funeral in Chicago, and that very moment my father was sitting on an airplane departing O'Hare International Airport (It turns out they sat on the runway for about an hour and then were told to exit the aircraft. My dad said all the televisions were turned off, and guards with guns stood watch.) My brother and his (pregnant) wife lived just a few buildings away from the World Trade Center and we were unable to reach them by phone for many, many hours (they were separated for most of the day – he was at work in midtown, she was at home during the attacks, evacuated the building, and fled into smoke-and-debris-filled Battery Park with their St. Bernard.) My sister-in-law was pregnant with her oldest at that time, and below is a photo of them attending the memorial events together.
I spent last year – 9/11/10 – at Ground Zero and live-tweeted from the memorial event. As I'm still traveling and writing in south Florida, I thought I would repost and share my images from last year and invite you to comment with your stories and comments below so that we may NEVER FORGET....
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9/11/10
This morning I attended the memorial ceremonies at Ground Zero. It was my first time at the site since the tragedy. I was with my brother, his wife, and their two girls. At the time of the attacks, they lived just a few buildings away from the World Trade Center towers, and she was pregnant with her oldest. Like many New Yorkers, they witnessed many terrible things that day... Perhaps they will feel comfortable sharing their stories on their own blog one day (UPDATE: My brother did. This is his post.)
Below, I was overtaken with emotion by the visible hollowness of the moment standing at Ground Zero – the negative space where the towers once stood, the haunting shadows across the sidewalk – and was compelled to document it.
To help you get your bearings, the area where the tall crane is to the right is where the towers once stood. Directly ahead is a roped-off zone (Zuccotti Park) where only the families of the victims were allowed to gather. You can see the silhouettes of policeman walking along the tops of buildings, securing the site.
A moment of silence.
You might also remember seeing images on television of Trinity Church, below.
For three decades, this Sphere sculpture stood in the World Trade Center plaza. Damaged on that tragic day, it was moved to nearby Battery Park and is now on display not far from the Statue of Liberty.
WE WILL NEVER FORGET.
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Reader Comments (5)
these images are really powerful and beautiful.
these are sad and beautiful photos...cannot belive it's been 10 years... i was in french class in 11th grade, when we heard about a plane crashing into the twin towers. i was just totally scared, confused, anxious.
Thanks for sharing this, Jodi. I'm glad your family was okay! I was in my senior year of high school at the time, in a suburb of NYC. Luckily none of my family members lived or worked in that area, but I know that a lot of my high school peers' parents commuted into the city every day so when we found out (during class - my teacher let us know) everyone was scared and worried. I remember they turned on all of the televisions in the school lobbies so people could watch the footage.
Your pictures are really beautiful. I've seen that statue in Battery Park and didn't realize that it was once in the World Trade Center. Wow.
One of the more positive things I remember from that time was how we all came together. There was a real sense of pride for being American. I will definitely never forget!
Beautiful photos, Jodi. I remember seeing them last year. Unbelievable to think that Erica had just found out she was pregnant with Royce!
I was walking to class at the time, also. I saw all the reports on TVs set up in the courtyards around campus. My mom was actually in the air at the time of the attack, en route from San Fran to Newark. They were forced to land in Utah, where she and 15 others rented a van and drove back to NJ. I wasn't able to contact her for many hours, and not knowing if she was ok was the most difficult thing.
I do remember most how everyone came together to console each other. America is a beautiful country with amazing people living in it, and it sometimes can be easy to forget that. I will never forget.
Your stories are so powerful.... Thank you for sharing. I love how you pointed out how the community of the country really came together after the tragedy of 9/11.