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.

Time Machine Travelogue Sixteen

A Sentimental Journey

The gift of fire leads to time travel.

The time machine has not been taken out from its hiding place for sometime now.  There is no real reason.  The time machine has preformed quite well for all the previous trips.  Many of these trips were related to a trip that was an eighth grade field trip.  It is hard to call it a trip of a lifetime because the twins will have lots of lifetime left and there will be plenty of future trips.  However sadly, we will not be so involved in those trips.  The trip started in Washington D.C. and then moved on to New York City.  We had only a short time in New York City but it was action packed.  Time's Square and a night at the theater to see Wicked was covered in Time Travelogue Fifteen.  After a late night, we had an early date with history.  Both our nation's history but our family's history.


As the family story goes, my grandfather wanted his mother to fry left over spaghetti for his breakfast.  She was a bit of a purest and refused to fry that spaghetti for him.  At the time, according to the story, my grandfather lived at home with his family in Naples, Italy.  He was the youngest son in the family.  He was also the seventh son.  He was a bit spoiled by his own admission.  However, his mother could not bring herself ruining spaghetti by frying it.  Some may say why didn't he just do it himself.  In those days of the early 1900's neither man nor boy was allowed in the kitchen.   My grandfather was twelve years old.  So as any red blooded Italian boy living in a seaport city like Naples would do,  he packed a few meager items and arranged passage on a ship bound for America.  For his passage he worked on the ship as a tailor.  This was his trade that he was apprenticing for.  When we went on that eighth grade field trip, we took a ferry to Ellis Island.  Being on that boat, I could only imagine that those sights were what my grandfather saw when he arrived in America.  Sure the New York City skyline has changed but other things would be the same.  Sailing into New York harbor there is one thing that every visitor and immigrant is greeted with, the Statue of Liberty. Being on the ferry boat crossing the water the Statue of Liberty is awe inspiring.  Lady Liberty is symbol that drew people from around the World.  Just looking at the statue evokes a range of emotions.  I felt pride in my country and in my grandfather.  Here on the ocean, he looked at this same beautiful sight.  A tear greeted my eye.  The gray water of that harbor was no longer cold.  It a warm bond of family feelings passing between my grandfather to my children.  I'm sure the Statue of Liberty has that in common for many American families.  We were unable to visit the Statue of Liberty that day there wasn't time.  But sailing by it had even a stronger emotional affect.  

What were our grandparents thoughts see her for the first time.

"She lifts her lamp before the Golden Door."

Even from the ferry she is awesome.

My grandfather's eye shared this sight.

I imagine a young boy far from home looking at this sight.  He always said that he never left anything there so he never wanted to go back to Italy.  He had a trade and there were many shops in need of a tailor.  Customarily, immigrants landing at the port of New York were ferried back out to Ellis Island to start the immigration process.  As we pulled closer to Ellis Island and I saw the silhouette of the buildings, I knew that this is the sight he saw so many years before.

What happened here every immigrant worried if they were going stay.

Towering freedom's hopes.

This was America's Melting Pot.

My grandfather's face could be staring back here.

Those many years ago my grandfather and others trod on these very same floors.  He could have been like any of these men in this picture.  When the United States entered the War to End All Wars, what we now call World War I, he signed up for the duration.  In those days, immigrants who were signed up for the duration were offered citizenship.  As the story goes, he was asked his trade by the Army.  He said that he was a tailor.  The supposedly said, "You are good with scissors.  You'll be a barber."  They trained him to do that.  Which was funny because in later life he was nearly bald.  

Like our country a flag woven immigrants.

At Ellis Island, they have the registrars that people were signed into.  We didn't have time to research, and it was crowded.  They did have this flag project that I thought was interesting.  So many American share this history with our family.  I wish I had found out about others in my family and their arrival to our shores.  If there are first person witnesses to your history,  check it out it may be interesting.  The time machine is ready for return to our time.  Thanks for the time spent together.