last week i finally returned to Ground Zero for the first time in more than 25 years. it was difficult & the constant use of selfie sticks made the visit to the museum harder because of the lack of respect people showed. i remember the day as clear as any other day. i remember the shock that turned into sadness.
the museum is beautifully done, & the memorial room is quiet filled with sadness & compassion.

NYC is not what i remember-it was commercial & where the galleries used to be on every street corner has given way to designers & Starbucks. sad. how i used to love downtown NYC. & now that part of the city is gone. forever homogenized.

the same with with New Haven where i went to college-Apple is there & where i would have lively conversations with my graduate friends has turned into a clothing retailer. it’s sad how corporate environments destroy neighborhoods. making them unfamiliar & weird. i miss the simple independent places. i was relieved that Claire’s was still on the same corner as i remember & the food was just as a good.

i walked for miles in my parents town-sad at all the changes. i bought local when i was there & made sure to spend money in the businesses that were still around. i have an old picture of myself on top of the world trade center, forever grateful that i got to experience it. much like old Soho. cemented in my memory of what downtown was.