The Little Things We Do: A Reverent, Humbling Day

We’ve survived our first day out in the city!

Our morning began with a delicious breakfast as church leaders began setting up for church. One person we met this morning, Robert, explained that he has lived in Brooklyn his entire life, and he loves it here. Neighborhood residents joke that he’s like the mayor because he’s such a friendly guy who knows everyone. After talking about his life in Brooklyn, we asked if he would ever visit a farm. He commented that he has been to a farm in South Carolina with a friend; “it was nice and peaceful to visit, but I could never live there,” a common comment similar to one many of our students have made about New York.

As we finished our breakfast, we headed out to the train station conveniently located just a few feet from the church. We bought metro passes and headed to Manhattan. For many students, riding the subway was a first. Although some students were nervous, we made it to Manhattan where we walked around Wall Street, saw the bull and famous Tiffany’s, and ate lunch. Per Robert’s recommendation, we went inside Trinity Cathedral, a beautiful church in lower Manhattan. Soon thereafter was what many students call an emotional journey through Ground Zero.

The Wall Street sign.

The famous bull representing the tough stock market exchange.

Jessica having breakfast at Tiffany's.

Trinity church.

As we entered the site, we were in awe of what we saw. Where the north and south towers stood now house massive, seemingly never-ending waterfall fountains of sorts. Each fountain is probably at least an acre large, if not larger. Surrounding each fountain is a ledge in which the people who died have names engraved. To many, it is a truly touching and emotional experience. Some people hugged each other, some left roses for those who have fallen, and others stood in silence. In the middle of busy, bustling Manhattan, we found serenity and solitude at Ground Zero.

Part of the ledge of the south tower with engraved names of those who died.

The only surviving tree from the 9/11 attacks that was nursed to health for 9 years and introduced to the memorial a year ago.

When leaving the site, our group discussed the feelings the site brings up. We discussed where we were on September 11, 2001. Most of us were in elementary school and watched the attacks on the news all morning in patient silence while no one explained what was happening. We were so young that these planes crashing into buildings meant almost nothing to us. “What are the Twin Towers? What are terrorists? Why does this matter?” We had no clue, but we knew it meant something, and we knew it meant something bad so we sat--unable to speak, and still unable after more than 10 years to speak as we stood in reverence to such a monumental event in American history.

We discussed what the fountains represent. In the middle of each fountain is a large hole into which you cannot see from the edge. We discussed that this might represent the never-ending pain many feel because of the attacks, an accurate representation of so many things unknown during and after September 11, 2011. The emotional morning gave us a sense of unity, a sense of understanding that Ground Zero is a testament to our nation’s history, an accurate representation that we are Americans and despite everything that happens around us, we are still united. We have a common history that cannot be shaken. Some students felt incredibly appreciative for what they have after such a historic experience.

One of the fountains at Ground Zero.

We then headed off to the Smithsonian where, oddly enough, we ran into some Coe students. We learned much about American Indian history and their struggles through time. Quotes and pictures on the wall depicted different ideas of life in pueblos. From an outsider's perspective, the American Indians were generous and interesting entertainers, but to the American Indians, they were just themselves. They had customs and traditions; they believed in kindness. However, as settlers came, they stripped away those important traditions one by one. Dance became entertainment, not celebration, for example. One quote on the wall said that children were no longer allowed to speak Indian in school. Settlers even took away their language.

To finish up the day, we headed to Staten Island. Most of us experienced our first ferry ride, which was considerably colder than expected. We were excited to finally arrive at the island after seeing the Statue of Liberty up close, and we dispersed in small groups to eat dinner. Although many restaurants were closed, we made some interesting discoveries. Some ate Chinese food and others found a Mexican restaurant.