We arrived in Harrison New Jersey just outside of New York City with the intention of continuing on the next morning towards Maine. However, after spending an evening listening to live music in the hotel lounge, we started talking to a couple from Texas and they convinced us to check out the city the next day. It was so easy. The Path station was right around the corner from the hotel and we could leave our car in the parking garage since we had paid for 24 hours of parking. The net morning after breakfast, we donned our jackets and walked to the station to catch the train into the city. We arrived at the Oculus World Trade Center station and as we made our way up to street level we were overwhelmed and amazed at the center. It was white and gleaming. The center had been decorated with Christmas trees and pop-up kiosks. Stores were lit and the whole thing had a "clean/sterile/wealthy" feel to it.  Once on street level, we were greeted with amazing architecture. We made our way to the 9/11 memorial. I remember the day it happened.  I was at home watching the boys play in our back room where the TV was. We had had our breakfast, when John called me telling me to turn on the TV. Isaac was playing with his toys and Job was running around on his wobbly little legs. Every channe1, every news station was tuned into this horrific event unfolding in my nation 3200 miles away. I sat stunned watching in horror and disbelief. Could this really be happening? Both Isaac and Job were born in a pre-9/11 world but will never know it. Lona was born into a post 9/11 world. To them this event is part of history but to me it is apart of my life.This was an event that changed our nation and us as people. There are certain events in every generation that produces some kind of change.  Pearl Harbor being one, the Space Shuttle Challenger,and  9/11 are others. A generation remembers and a new generation comes along and sees that event as history. Another event, another generation. Each event has the potential to teach us something or to create bitterness, distrust and anger. How can we learn and grow and honor those in the past without the anger?  We are Americans and we remember and we rebuild to show our strength, our determination and our resiliency. The pool is perfectly level with water cascading evenly into the abyss, with the One World Trade Center standing watch over the whole center plaza. Names were engraved all along the outside edge. I expected hushed voices and a quiet area but it was the exact opposite. The court yard was filled with voices and life as if to say "we are New Yorkers, we live on." It wasn't until we had walked away and around a building and started down West Street that we noticed a dramatic decrease in the noise. I had expected the opposite since we started down a fairly busy and main road.