I thought it was so important today to remember September 11, 2001 on what would be the 10th anniversary. It’s one of those events that you’ll remember your entire life of what you were doing when you heard the news. It was a regular Tuesday morning for me. I was getting ready to go into the office and I had the news on in the background, like always. I remember hearing the words “plane crashed into the World Trade Center” and that’s what really made me pay attention. After that, I sat down on the couch and stayed for hours, just watching the footage and all the news reports.
I read a great blog this morning about the after effects of 9/11 for some New Yorkers. One family chose to move from lower Manhattan; another chose to stay. According to the blog, “At a recent press conference, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg heralded the rebuilding efforts in Lower Manhattan as “one of the greatest comeback stories in American history” and pointed out, with typical New York moxie, that the area’s population growth over the past 10 years surpassed that of Atlanta, Dallas and Philadelphia combined. True — but the path ahead remains uncertain.”
It really made me think about how I’d react if something similar happened in Chicago. Would I want to stay, because this is my home? Would I rally with all my fellow Chicagoans to build a stronger Chicago? Or would I choose to leave and start somewhere new? I truly believe that I’d want to stay, but I wouldn’t fault or judge anyone who was more comfortable starting over.
I bet we’d have some growth here as well from people who choose to come help, which is what happened in New York City. They initially came to help with the recovery efforts and fell in love with the city and chose to stay. And some of those who initially left eventually came back because that was their home. It might not have had the same feel as before they left, but as the saying goes, “Home is where the heart is.”
To all those who fell on September 11, 2001, we will never forget…
Noah Seidenberg
http://www.noahseidenberg.com
The Evanstonian 