Judie wrote in The Day After The Day After:
Speaking as a New Yorker I have to say that it’s the little things, too. It’s because we’re closer to where it happened. I’m sure the people in D.C. and Shanksville, PA. feel the same way. It happened here, in our backyard. The skyline still feels empty to me. I grew up watching the towers get built and now they’re gone. The big ceremonies are alright; some poeple need that and that feeling of togetherness is important. But I need to sit back and be with my own thoughts,too.
I passed by the park again on Friday and saw the sea of small American flags that had been planted in commemoration of 9/11. It was very windy that day and the flags whipped frantically. They reminded me of Tibetan prayer flags:
The flags in the park are now gone, which makes me a kind of sad. Because we should remember — or at least not forget — every day.
The little things help to keep history personal. The big events are like the forest. The little things that each of us remembers are like the trees. Or maybe even the leaves on the trees.
