Paying my respects at the 9/11 Memorial, which was dedicated in September 2011 on the tenth anniversary of the tragic events.

Christine Lee Hanson, aged 2 1/2 years, was the youngest person killed on the tragic day. She was a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175, traveling from Boston to Los Angeles with her parents Peter and Sue Hanson. Peter Hanson was one of a few passengers who managed to make phone calls to loved ones between the time of the hijacking and the crash into Two World Trade Center; moreover, a piece of his pelvis was the largest piece of human remains recovered from United 175's passengers and crew, hinting to the degree of violence that took them away.

I have no personal ties to any of the nearly 3,000 people who were killed that day. But Flight 175 and Two World Trade Center do bring it home for me. Two World Trade Center (South Tower) had a great outdoor observation deck on the roof, which offered the best views of New York City I ever remember, and I used to be a regular on the very aircraft that was operating United 175 on that fateful day.

This is a lovely and respectful memorial, but for me, it feels so wrong for an empty void and a waterfall to be in front of me, when Two World Trade Center should still be towering over me. It is even more upsetting to think that the plane that crashed seventy-some floors above me that day is one that I used to fly on quite a bit. And Christine is not supposed to have her name engraved on this spot, but instead ought to have grown up into an early-pubescent teenager by now. I hope this tragedy will never be repeated again.