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| Richard Drew Associated Press |
It was a rainy morning in my little corner of the world and I had every intention of making the most of it by enjoying my coffee while watching the movie my DVR dutifully recorded during the night. But first I had to see the local weather, so turning on the Today show, I saw there perched on a tiny metal platform was Today show host" Matt Laurer. Over his shoulder one could see a view of the harbor and Lady Liberty. She looked very small, but Matt was about 1500 feet above the street, waiting to give the signal to lift the beacon that would top One World Trade Center ,  bringing it height to 1776 feet. Built near the fallen towers it is a powerful symbol. The building has a beacon, as Lady Liberty's has her beacon, her torch. When my son was very young someone gave him a small model of the Statue of Liberty, he proudly displayed it on his desk and explain that it was "Statue of Woman" and her name was America. | |
 And as i watched I felt pride in this new symbol, this new beacon, the announcer explained that some of the men who worked on this building were the sons of men who had, or they themselves had also worked on the Twin Towers, and some of the men were the grandsons and great grand sons of men who worked on the Empire State building.  Shouts and cheers, flags waved, as the blast that signaled it was time to raise the spire the final few feet of its journey from the pavement to it's position at the top of One world Trade Center, meant as a communication tower and beacon for planes, it was clear it is also a beacon for us a nation. Slowly at first the spire lifted, soon it began to sway slightly, there were audible gasps from the crew, but the skillful crane operator soon righted the condition and had the the spire lowered into position where a waiting crew bolted it into place. To the rising chorus of cheers. And mine too. |
