Thomas Horn and Tom Hanks in the film Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
“And if that’s all you learned from 9/11, if that’s all you remembered, that: My God, you could extinguish life so suddenly, so unexpectedly, and it could happen to me, and therefore I should think harder about the way I spend my life instead of just wasting it. Now, it’s not going to teach you what to do with your life, but it will teach you to do with your life, and to do it more and quicker and better. And that can be extremely valuable.” ~ Mario Cuomo
Mario Cuomo made this statement in the PBS documentary about the history of New York City. It rang powerfully in my ears when I recently went to see the movie Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. The movie centers on a family that is forever changed by the events of 9/11. And before you go thinking, “Oh great, another 9/11 movie” like I did, watch the trailer. The performances are mesmerizing. You will want to look away and you won’t be able to. You’ll want to go back home to your life as usual, and you won’t be able to shake the feeling that you need to live the life you want. Today and every day after.
I recently had drinks with a friend of mine who recently got a new job. I asked her how it was going and she replied, “It’s called ‘work’ for a reason.” That gave me pause and then made me feel very, very sad. Was I asking too much of my career? Could a job ever be something we jump out of bed for or was that the stuff of Hollywood and daydreams? This thought nagged at me. Was I a fool to believe in a better way to work? This question refused to go away for days, and then I saw Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and then I had my answer. I stopped feeling sad for myself. Instead, I felt sad for my friend.
Work has to be more than work as we know it. Mario Cuomo is so damn brilliant and wise – YES, we have to do with our life. Anything less than that is just a waste. It must be meaningful, and not just in bits and pieces and once-in-a-whiles, but always. Every, single, day.
And this is just more fuel for the fire in my belly to work on Compass Yoga full-time. Here’s to people who want to jump up out of bed thankful for one more day, sink their teeth into life, and refuse to accept anything less. You are the rainmakers that this world needs and wants!
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
5 thoughts on “Leap: Finding Meaning in Experiences That Are Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”
unfortunately find myself in your friend’s boat more and more often, these days. though would dearly love to be a stowaway in yours.
Christa,
Just discovered your blog (love it) and this post which spoke to me and what I am trying to do with my own work.
I remember saying to my mother (whose mindset was shaped by the Depression) that I wanted to be “Happy” in my work, whatever I did. She threw me a “what in the world are you talking about look.”
Reading this great post, I realize (sadly) that these low expectations of what we want from work (and life) are still the dominant beliefs of yet another generation (with cracks that are starting to let some light through).
A former New Yorker, having lived most of my adult life in downtown Manhattan (haven’t seen the movie, but plan to) I can relate deeply to the connection you’ve made between the surreal tragedy of 9/11 and the life we choose to lead every day.
Work and the workplace will never change unless we change our expectations of it. What are we all waiting for?
Hi Louise! I am so glad you enjoyed the post. Mario Cuomo’s word and this movie really inspired me and encouraged me to keep searching, seeking, and finding work that is filled with meaning. It’s so incredibly important and we have no time to lose.
I just took at your website and love what you’re doing – I just subscribed to your blog.
unfortunately find myself in your friend’s boat more and more often, these days. though would dearly love to be a stowaway in yours.
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Climb aboard! There’s plenty of room!
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Christa,
Just discovered your blog (love it) and this post which spoke to me and what I am trying to do with my own work.
I remember saying to my mother (whose mindset was shaped by the Depression) that I wanted to be “Happy” in my work, whatever I did. She threw me a “what in the world are you talking about look.”
Reading this great post, I realize (sadly) that these low expectations of what we want from work (and life) are still the dominant beliefs of yet another generation (with cracks that are starting to let some light through).
A former New Yorker, having lived most of my adult life in downtown Manhattan (haven’t seen the movie, but plan to) I can relate deeply to the connection you’ve made between the surreal tragedy of 9/11 and the life we choose to lead every day.
Work and the workplace will never change unless we change our expectations of it. What are we all waiting for?
Thanks for the inspiration,
Louise
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Hi Louise! I am so glad you enjoyed the post. Mario Cuomo’s word and this movie really inspired me and encouraged me to keep searching, seeking, and finding work that is filled with meaning. It’s so incredibly important and we have no time to lose.
I just took at your website and love what you’re doing – I just subscribed to your blog.
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