Real-World Tragedy, Excellent Food, and Musical Theater

We spent the bulk of yesterday (Friday) at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at “Ground Zero,” where the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center once stood.  (The Pope was there at the Memorial and Museum about a week ago.)

At first, I found it interesting, and, of course, more than a little sobering.  But then we reached a portion — it’s much bigger than I had at first realized — that was absolutely moving.

Such memorials, such reminders, are essential.  I always try to visit such things, including the concentration camps in Europe, because I feel that I have a moral obligation to do so, to remember, to  not forget.

Another point:

I posted an entry here the other day in which I commented on one of the reasons that I find the proposition of the survival of human consciousness after death so appealing:  I regard the idea that the richness of individual personalities, memories, wisdom, and experience is simply obliterated, erased, at death by an indifferent and mindless universe as extremely repellant.  Of course, the universe might simply be precisely so — my desires and passionate hopes wouldn’t make it otherwise, if that were the case — but I can see no reason to regard that as other than terrible news.

The events of 9/11 will stand here for yet another reason:  I intensely dislike the thought that the evil done by those al-Qa’ida hijackers might have had the last word in the lives of the nearly 3000 innocent, ordinary men, women, and children whose earthly sojourn was ended so abruptly.

Far and away the most moving elements of the exhibit, for me, were the personal details shared at various points — and sometimes even the voices — of the victims of those vicious attacks.  I ached for the loss of vibrant, contributing, lively people, cut off far too soon.

I want them to survive.  I’m confident that they have.  I would, again, not find it good news that they hadn’t.

On a lighter note, we then went directly from Ground Zero to meet our friends Joseph and Celia Grenny for an excellent sea food dinner at Oceana, at 120 West 49th Street, followed by a performance of Finding Neverland in the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on 46th.  It was thoroughly enjoyable, extremely energetic, and, yes, even touching.  A good change of pace after more than six hours intensely devoted to the attacks of September 11th.  I strongly recommend it as a family-friendly Broadway musical if you’re coming to the area.

Posted from New York City