Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Falling Man

"The Falling Man" --- a photograph taken by Richard Drew at 9:41:15 a.m., on September 11, 2001.

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This may be considered a quite morbid post, but we sometimes have to confront the truly uncomfortable and disturbing points of life in order to appreciate the beautiful and calm.

After all this time, I still think of this one picture when I think of what happened 7 years ago. It is deeply affecting, and it somehow seems to encapsulate that wrenching. sinking feeling that we all had watching the TV that morning. It was a feeling of true alienation — our world was unknown, a shocking and foreign land. How could this picture coming through the TV waves be true?

I was in college, coming back from my boyfriend's house (he didn't have a TV) My roomate was glued to the TV--crying. I sat and watched until I had to leave for class. My teacher was crying. We all left.

(P.S. I will add a happy post in the next couple days-- to even this all out--promise!!)


4 comments:

idyll hands said...

When I first saw this picture shortly after that day 7 years ago, I just sat and looked at it.

Then I looked at it the next day.

It's still unreal to me - the pictures of the buildings falling are more real to me than this picture.

I've always wondered who it was in this picture. What was his story? What was his life like?

I dunno, I just thought I'd share.

Little Lovables said...

I wonder if he is alive at this point in the picture? So tragic.

My husband is in emergency managment and disaster planning, and they saw a documentary video being filmed in the area at this time. In the background of the video, there are loud bangs every now and then. One man asks, "what is that sound" and the answer "bodies hitting the roof".

Unknown said...

this is really a sad wordless memory. I was on the TV that day, and couldn't believe what I saw with my own eyes. sigh ...

let's make this globe a more peaceful place to stay ...

for the peace.

Sarah said...

thank you for sharing that photo and post, even though it's a disturbing picture. You're right, some may think its morbid and disgusting, but if we don't remember history the way it was, it's more likely to happen again.