Robbin and I had the opportunity to spend a few days in Manhattan , and we decided to head downtown to check out the revitalization of the World Trade Center area.  Unlike my last visit 5-7 years ago, which was rather discouraging given the politicians’ inability to decide how to proceed, all the New Yorkers have gotten their collective acts together.  Two of the three new towers are complete. The bustle of loud, brash, construction workers fill the air.  All in all, this is a very optimistic environment as opposed to the discouraging scene from a few years ago.  You get the impression finally that America is bouncing back.   Highlighting our visit was the official 9/11 memorial, built directly over the top of one of the tragically razed buildings.  It is just the perfect memorial.  Not American gaudy, just the right tone of dignity and remembrance.    All who perished that day have their names etched in the granite encircling the memorial.   Congrats to the New Yorkers, as they all got it just right.

But oops, we are in New York City, and of course someone came along to ruin it.  Just as Robbin and I were gazing into the memorial, some Muslim dude approached and tried to sell us a beautiful, four-color booklet of 9/11 photographs.   Definition of irony ?             WHAT THE HECK !