So I am watching the History Channel, (I know, I'm such a geek) and they are airing a special about the events surrounding September 11 and the World Trade Center. As close to a real-time video record as possible, using media coverage but mostly footage from camcorders. It is incredibly powerfully done.
Before I go on, I think you need to know a little bit about me I think. I was born and raised in Upstate New York. But, that does not mean that I am removed from what happened in NYC. Both my parents are from New York City and we spent 4-6 weeks of every year visiting our family and friends. It has always been in my blood. A place I call Home.
There are few things in this world that can make me cry. I consider myself to be tough as nails... well, let's be honest, I'm a bitch. But, watching the event unfold on that day, made me sob. I think I ended up living in a daze for the next year. That was my senior year in college, and frankly, I dropped the ball... but that's another story.
That morning, when I woke up and saw the news, I put a tape in my VCR and hit the record button. On 2 VHS tapes I have 12 hours of news footage... every year, I make sure I have the 11th off and I sit down and watch some (or all) of those two tapes.
And I cry.
Maybe it's a strange tradition, but I find it to be very cleansing.
I am ever the artist, never does a day go by that I am not 'in' my art. As I watched that day, I got an idea... I loaded my Nikon with Black&White film and photographed my TV... and the series I will be posting over the next couple of weeks is the result of the idea. I found it surprisingly powerful, for me at least.
