A Good 911 Wallow? Oh, No Thank You

Going back in published columns I found this that ran in 2009 on 9/11.  "Remembering is not the problem - being able to diminish the horror is."

When we were past the 10 year mark, I thought, "Well, next year it won't be as bad..." projecting my hope that I won't be reliving some of the horror.  Unfortunately, such has not been the case.

We were in Montauk, recovering from a family wedding with the father and mother of the groom, Richie's brother and his wife.  At breakfast, we noticed a group of people around the big screen TV.  Finished at the table, I wandered over to see what was going on.  I saw a small plane crash into a tall building.  I walked back to the table and said, "Some inept private plane pilot ran into a building," shaking my head at the stupidity.

Moments:  Long Island is on the flight path to JFK, LaGuardia and Newark.  For days the skies were an empty, brilliant blue.

The list of known dead that grew daily posted on the door of St. Patrick's Church. 

The shell shock of everyone around us.

And then some probably well-meaning idiot got up a group to create The 911 Memorial and Museum, to be located on the site.  It did open and it does offend me that anyone would pay money to visit burned up fire trucks, personal items of the doomed passengers, and charred, twisted steel. 

I understand that it may well be of great interest to foreign tourists.  But I think that for us - American citizens who actually lived through this event it would be a case of paying through the nose for deja vu.

Museum Admission: 
Adults - $24
Seniors, veterans, college students - $18

Admission and a 60 min. tour before the museum opens:
Adults - $44
Seniors, vets, etc - $38

Admission and a 45 min. tour:
Adults - $39
Seniors et al $33
Ages 7 to 17 - $15

In 2003 we finally got up nerve enough to visit "The Hole" the floor of which was populated by small, bright yellow bulldozers, shoving dirt this way and that.  The fence surrounding the site had a section with the names of the known dead listed in alphabetical order.  There was a mock-up of the photos and pleas for information originally posted on the chain link fence.

But more than anything else, despite the bright Fall day, the merry rumblings and grumbling of the engines on the land-clearing equipment, there was an overwhelming air of sadness and grief emanating from The Hole. 

                                                      "NEVER FORGET"