Saint Paul's Chapel, New York City

Bring a rescue worker's patch to add to the collection

My mom came to visit me in NYC! She arrived on Monday night and first thing Tuesday we commenced sight seeing!

First, downtown! We took the 1 train to Chambers street, which puts you right in front of St Paul's Chapel. St Paul's Chapel is Manhattan's oldest public building in continuous use and George Washington came here to worship after his 1789 inauguration. This was the chapel's main claim to fame until the Twin Towers came crashing down across the street, covering it with a thick layer of white dust and debris. It survived the attack and became a spiritual center for all those who needed it and became a place where rescue workers came to sleep and relax. It now houses a permanent memorial.

St Paul's Chapel

Every time I go to St Paul's Chapel I look at all the headstones that are now washed away and nameless, and think about how ephemeral life, and even death, is. Death is a notion that those who are still alive created. One moment you are alive, and the next, dead - but you have to be alive to even contemplate death. For some reason this is strange to me. Often when I go to the Chapel, I sit in the cemetery overlooking ground zero and think about series of events that were set into motion when those towers came down - events that are still happening today. Next my thoughts jump to all of the people - service men and women, journalists, civilians, even the terrorists - all different kinds of people, who have died because of that series of events. I begin feeling anger with a touch of sadness. Then I look at the headstones, completely worn down, and think, what is the point of it all? We can eff up the world and each other as much (or as little - that is an option too!) as we want, and it really doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.