The demands of the mind

September 11, 2001. Like the assassination of JFK and the explosion of the Challenger space shuttle, it was one of those “where were you when….” events we all remember. But what anyone who hasn’t visited Ground Zero might not be able to grasp is the feeling that comes over you when you go to New York City and gaze into that enormous hole in the ground.

We all sat glued to our TV that day. We watched as the news reports showed the film and live video of the airplanes crashing into the towers and the eventual collapse of both buildings. Over and over and over they were shown until they became ingrained into our memories. So when visiting the site today, all the TV images, all the pictures seen in the newspapers and magazines, all that ingrained horror comes flooding back into your minds eye. You mentally put the towers back into the sky, fly the airplanes into them and slowly watch them collapse. I’m sorry but it’s impossible not to. It’s like the mind demands that we do it, especially for something so horrible, to make sure we never forget. And those thousands of people die yet again.

It was one of the saddest places I’ve ever visited. May I never have to visit another.

Pictures in the gallery.