September 11

It’s strange to be 23 years from the biggest horror in my memory. 

South Orange and Maplewood lost a few people. Douglas Cherry was one. He left a wife and three little kids behind when he was taken. He was 38. 

Kristen Christophe was taken from her husband and young daughter. She was 39 … she’d be 63 this year. 

Christopher Faughnan was 37. Also left a wife and three little kids. He would have been 38 a few days after he was killed, and he’d be turning 62 a few days from now. 

I apologize for any typos or mistakes.  

What troubles me now, 23 years later, is I’ve seen some social media posts purporting to be funny that compare stupid ordinary life struggles with 9/11.  I’m sure lots of them are from kids who have no idea. I know people try to be shocking or edgy thinking it’s funny, but it really bothers me. 

I read this whole article on Rolling Stone: https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/9-11-meme-gen-z-1235097749/

To me it seems like a whole one-sided explanation of why it’s supposed to be okay to make fun of this event. 

I stopped cold for the first moment of silence this morning. I vividly remembered being on the phone when the first Tower was hit. My friend and I were in shock. It was surreal and I recalled working in the building. For a moment I vividly remembered a giant King Kong lying on the ground during the filming of the movie.

Family friends and I waited for her brother to come home from his job on Wall Street. Sad to compare this moment in politics to a time when the whole country pulled together.

As a member of the WTC Registry, I still have vivid memories of that day.  On 9/11 I try to visit both WTC memorials in Maplewood.  One is the tree at the Maplewood  train station planted in memory of the Maplewood residents who died at the WTC that day.  The second is a memorial adjacent to the Hilton Branch Library (SA side close to the Gazebo) which contains a piece of the WTC.  The Maplewood Fire Department maintained that memorial.  I assume the South Essex Fire Department has taken over that responsibility.  There was a memorial service at the Hilton Branch memorial this morning.  If you have not visited either memorial, now might be a good time to do so.

Eagle Rock is the place I go to for reflection. Sometimes I wish it would all go away, and I can just go up there and look at all the names…and that statue of the little girl..