Time Machine Travelogue Seventeen

I Wish This Time Machine Was Real

Bullish on Wall Street

I've never seen so much dust. They told me that this storage garage was dust proof. Some how there must be a blown seal. Now before I can fire up the time machine, I must tear it down to clean it. Dust contamination can not only cause problems with the machinery it can move harmful particles and pollen to the new environment at the other end of the wormhole. Mostly memories  we've been using the time machine for are trips to New York City lately. That eighth grade field to Washington DC and New York has yielded many memories. 
We went on that field trip in March of 2008. That was just over six years since that tragic events of September 11, 2001.  We traveled to Wall Street and to the area known as Ground Zero, the place where the world Trade Center building once stood. There are many memorials there now of course. World trade is what took place in those building. There were representatives from many countries that worked and on that horrible day died there.  There were first responders like firemen and policemen that served their community and their fellow citizens unfortunately too many of their lives were lost also. There was destruction of not only the World Trade Center building but other nearby buildings as well.  

We who are old enough to remember will never forget that tidal wave of dust and debris.  It flowed through the channels of the canyon of the surrounding buildings.  It was surging with such force it damaged surrounding buildings.  It was so powerful at Ground Zero that it registered on the Richter Scale.  There in the debris tsunami's path stood the St. Paul Chapel.  The chapel is part of the Trinity Church of Wall Street.  The same Trinity Church those familiar with National Treasure know as the hiding place of the Templar Treasure.  

Trinity Church Cemetery

This was no Hollywood special effect.  The cloud of debris was heading straight at the St. Paul's Chapel.  However, in the Trinity Church's Cemetery stood a 70 year old Sycamore tree.  The huge tree met the on coming force.  The force was so great it ripped off the foliage and uprooted the living tree,  The tree miraculously stopped to debris and saved the church.  We came there and saw a short squat stump.  It was covered with trinkets and remembrances left behind to honor this miracle event.  The Universe has a way of providing those little things that make a difference.  

Miracle Sycamore stump

Personal mementos left behind

Necklaces and bracelets

This tree's roots ran deep

Note the small green army man

I wonder if someone hopes the tree protects a soldier

We all wish for our own miracle.

To paraphrase Joyce Kilmer "Blogs are written by fools like me but only God can make a tree that saves a church."   To commemorate this Miracle they removed the toppled over stump and made castings of it's roots to create a sculpture.  Artist Steve Tobin took those castings and fashioned the Trinity Root.  The stump was replaced, and the sculpture was dedicated in 2007.

These roots ran deep.

In the plaza between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center stood the large sculpture by Fritz Koenig.  After to dust settled the damaged sphere, was removed and re-erected in Battery Park.  It was taken apart and reassembled.  To save something from that plaza was incredible.  The destruction was nearly total.

A scene we'll never forget.

Now the gardens are more serene.  There is an Eternal Flame dedicated to the innocent people who lost their lives and the brave souls doing there job who lost their lives.  

We need renewed optimism and hope.

And some feel public art is meaningless.

An Eternal Flame dedicated to the murdered.

Even the dents and damage add beauty.

Everyone that has ever even dreamed of a time machine has entertained what they would do with it. Would you go back to the past to observe a historical event. The Egyptians building the pyramids. Wouldn't you want to know the technology they employed to accomplish that feat. Maybe the events surrounding the life of Christ. Others have contemplated going back into the past to alter an event. Some think if they could return to a point in time and kill Adolph Hitler thus preventing World War II.  I have been reflecting on the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11,   2001. If I could do more than just a  "thought experiment," as Einstein suggested involving the time machine, I would really go back in time to stop the events of that day we now call 911. So much has happened because of that day.  Some of them were could like bringing us together. Others not so good because on that day we lost too many freedoms.  However the time machine concept is appealing. And we will continue to take it to other places and time. Thank you for coming along and remember peace.