I weave through the streets, turn a corner and there it is: One World Trade Center, the tallest building in this hemisphere.
At first, it takes me a moment to realize what I am looking at. The sun gleams off the glass tower and blinds all who look upon it. Below, a vast black memorial fountain embeds the ground, each spurt of water reminding us of each life lost.
Do you remember Sept. 11?
I was 8 years old. My teacher lined the class against the white wall outside the library. We had just finished our computer science class; I learned about Google. Something terrible had happened, she said.
I saw a TV screen in the corner of my living room as I curled up on a green leather couch. Planes crashed into two towers, again and again. Wafts of smoke filled every channel. I was torn between shock, sadness and disbelief.
I step off the street corner and out of my reverie. It might have been 15 years ago, but it’s all still real to me.
Source: Wanderlust: Remembering Sept. 11
Claire Lardizabal 