“It was our backyard. I’d let my daughters walk there by...

“It was our backyard. I’d let my daughters walk there by themselves. When I gave directions to our apartment, I’d say: ‘Imagine if the WTC fell over, it would land on our house.’ So it was like someone blew up our backyard. After the initial shock wore off, my first thought was: ‘I won’t let my children be terrified by this.’ I was determined to stay calm. I wasn’t going to let this change their dreams. We moved back into our apartment as soon as the air was clean enough. We kept living our lives. But I never really resolved my own trauma. I was working as a programmer for a community arts center. And when I learned that the 9/11 Tribute Center was looking for a curator, I jumped at the opportunity. I thought: ‘Finally, a way for me to face this.’ But it was such an enormous story to tell. I wasn’t even sure where to begin. I started by interviewing survivors and responders. And these oral histories would become the centerpiece of the museum. Over the years I collected hundreds of them. In the beginning they were so raw. People took the opportunity to release their anger, and grief, and sorrow. I’m glad we have those early interviews. Because I never want to lose what happened. But over the years the anger faded. And the grief softened as well. There was still emotion in the stories, but it began to be coupled with reflection. And commentary. People gained perspective on their trauma. They spoke of ways they had grown from it: things they had learned, people who’d helped them. More than anything,  I think all of us were collectively realizing that we didn’t fall apart. Time passed by. New opportunities emerged. New relationships were formed. Everyone has a limited amount of mind space, and new things kept demanding our attention. In the later years, so many people used the interviews to speak about their children or grandchildren: reading to them, loving them, watching them grow. I kept hearing it again and again. So many people were focusing on the children in their lives. And it was hard not to heal. It was hard not to move on. Because no matter what’s happened in your past, there will always be children. And that’s always a reason to invest in the present.”