Located in the center of lower Manhattan, financial center of the world, the World Trade Center used to be the symbol of civilization. It was the pride of not only New Yorkers, but all Americans. Two giant buildings turning into ashes was a nightmare to everyone; it was a catastrophe for New York.
Years after the attack, everything seems to be back to normal. Lower Manhattan is still as busy as it used to be. Walking as if being chased, pedestrians never slow down, footsteps never stop. Impatient cab drivers drive in the big city; cars honk every five seconds. The noise is like the heartbeat of New York, showing that the city is still alive. Everything seems normal, except Ground Zero.
In order to go to Ground Zero, I took the E subway, the express line to the World Trade Center. From my observation, the E train was not different from other trains. It’s old, not clean, not very comfortable and quite inconvenient, just like the rest of the New York City subways. However, it’s special because the display board on the train shows that the World Trade Center is the destination. It’s not hard to understand why the E train’s display board is one of the most popular photo-shooting spots in New York. As a tourist, I had no reason not to take this train. After four years of listening to all the tragic stories reported by the media, I was finally on board the train to share the pain. And it was the first time that I truly understood how difficult it must be for those who lost loved ones.
It was rush hour by the time I arrived at the World Trade Center station. A lot of people had just left from work, and were rushing to catch their trains at this rebuilt temporary station. I was the only one walking slowly to Ground Zero. Each step I took brought me closer to the site on which the Twin Towers once stood.
Although the World Trade Center doesn’t exist anymore, the name of the PATH station next to it still remains the same. As the matter of fact, everything remains the same in lower Manhattan. Office buildings, shopping malls, hotels and the Trinity Church are still there; they are the survivors as well as the witnesses of the tragedy. It’s like they are there to remember the loss of the Twin Towers. The absence of the World Trade Center is reflected by their existence. The emptiness is emphasized by such big contrast.
The weather was freezing cold. The wind blew so hard, reminding me that the Twin Towers were no longer there to stand against it. Looking at the rubble, I felt even colder. There were other tourists standing at the observing spot besides me. But none of us were speaking. We were grieving for the loss of life. Even though it was so noisy right across the street, it was deadly silent on our side. It’s just like the site of the World Trade Center is isolated and exists in another world. The only thing we heard was the wind blowing; it brought sorrow to our hearts, and tears to our eyes.
An hour visit to the site of the World Trade Center has changed the way I feel about New York City. Although New York City seems to be fully recovered already, the emptiness is still there; it’s like part of it has died. And that part cannot be replaced. New York can never be the same without the Twin Towers, just like those who lost their family and friends can never live the same lives again. The pain still exists in every New Yorker’s heart. It is obvious that people still cannot accept the truth that the World Trade Center is gone. Everything that’s related to the World Trade Center remains virtually unchanged. The WTC express line still exists, and people still call the rebuilt station the World Trade Center station. All these show that the WTC has a irreplaceable place in everyone’s heart. Reflecting upon the absence is the best way to remember. Signs of the heart and soul, the toughness and resilience, of New Yorkers can be found easily around the site of the World Trade Center – the place once was the centerpiece of the world’s capital.
Fallenleaf Lane, CA
