Kate Spade Zebras

These snaps come from a browsing expedition at the Kate Spade Store at the Oculus – the high end shopping center located at the World Trade Center in New York. This particular display is one of the oddest I have seen in person.

However, it certainly got the job done given that I’m still thinking about it all these months later. It’s whimsical with lots of varying heights, textures, colors and shapes.

I don’t necessarily like everything they sell but appreciate the classic pieces like leather gloves and this vintage inspired floral adorned bag.

I won’t pretend to understand the zebra masks. Maybe they’re just a fun way to play up the zebra prints found throughout the store. However, I prefer to think there’s a deeper meaning as the zebra represents determination and empowerment.

Nonetheless, all the colors and shapes make this boutique feel like a candy store for the grownup eye.

Between Seasons In New York

New York was a city between seasons when I visited earlier this month. Southern Ohio trees shed their leaves several weeks ago so it was shocking to find brilliant pops of gold and bronze amidst the skyscrapers.

It was also beginning to look a lot like Christmas as an abundance of lights, trees and wreaths brighten the streetscape.

Zuccotti Park is located near our hotel in lower Manhattan. My friend and I took a late night stroll and I was delighted to find this spot.

This nearby office lobby tree was even more stunning in person and was even pretty in the daylight.

The tree and menorah at the World Trade Center were meaningful in this quiet spot. We passed by on the way to breakfast and I was pleased to linger for a moment and appreciate the significance.

And all of this was in one small area of the city!

Remembering September 11th

Has is really been eighteen years? I was a young newspaper editor that terrible day. I’ll never forget how blue the sky was as I drove to work, shaken by the news coming in from New York, Washington, DC and rural Pennsylvania. How could something so terrible happen on such a beautiful day?

These places seemed so far away and yet the losses hit close to home.

All these years later, it’s still hard to process the devastation. It’s still hard to imagine so many souls lost in a single building. It’s hard to imagine having the courage to crash a plane in a field rather than wait for terrorists to reach their intended destination.

I visited the site at Shanksville, PA again last fall to see the beautiful park dedicated to the forty passengers and crew aboard Flight 93. I wrote about that experience last year. You can read it here. 

Eighteen years ago, we said we would never forget. But with each passing year, we find ourselves moving further and further from the memory. Today there is a generation of young people who were too young in 2001 to remember these events and those who weren’t even born.

The people aboard Flight 93 understood what was happening to them. They called their loved ones, said their prayers and chose to attack their attackers, crashing their plane into a field and narrowly missing a village and a school.

Out of tragedy came heroism and, as long as we remember their bravery, their sacrifices are not in vain. If you have kids who don’t know this story, I hope you’ll tell them about it. Tell them about Flight 93 and tell them about the brave first responders who ran toward danger while everyone else was running for safety. Tell them about the people who went about their lives that morning, not realizing it would be their last.

There are thousands of stories of ordinary people who died unnecessarily and who did extraordinary things for strangers. Whether you can visit one of the memorials or simply read about them online, learn their stories and remember them.