Ground Zero from the Ground Up

I have associated the World Trade Center buildings with New York City ever since my first visit to NYC back in 2001. Those two pillars were a symbol of for what New York City means to the US and to the world, towering above and almost omnipresent in their command of the skyline. Surprising to me and most everyone else that these huge steel monuments to commerce would fall on a beautiful fall morning later that year, left to smolder with the remains of thousands and conjecture what would become of a world considered less safe than before.

I was reminded of these thoughts as I worked out of an office that affronted the north end of the once-magnificent buildings. Same brilliant sunshine pierced through the gorges formed by a litany of skyscrapers, but the light was altogether brilliant passing through what once was steel and concrete. Below were the cranes fighting to resurrect what was once so proud, crippled not just by the immense task at hand but by the "politics-as-usual" wrangling of city planners, developers, and concerned citizens. I suppose the sub-freezing temperatures and blustery wind tunnels contributed to slow efforts on that particular day, but the story is broader than temperature.

Nevertheless, my view was unobstructed. There is still great promise in what might result from that large plot of land now hollowed of foundation and infrastructure. The afternoon's mood framed by brilliant sunshine, I connected to the general American sentiment of hope brought by an incoming president who has taken on skillfully the dreams of Americans these days. Who knows what the next months will truly bring, but for now, it is thrilling to think about building again and possibilities. If only for a moment I have this reflection, though, as my presentation was still due to the boss at 2pm.

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A Little Bit of Proust

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Journal : OpenRoadWorks

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