Wreath at 9/11 Memorial, NYC. Photo by Christa Avampato.
It’s my tradition to visit the 9/11 Memorial on September 12th to honor all of the challenges our city has faced every day since that tragic day. Though many people are always there, it often maintains a quiet that can be hard to find in that area of NYC. People put their hands on the names etched into the panels surrounding the pools of water flowing into the ground outlining the footprints of the 2 towers.
Last week, I read a piece where a teenager insightfully said he believes people who were alive during 9/11 look at that memorial and see something that’s no longer there, existing only in their memories. It’s such a true and beautiful observation.
I am always surprised when I go to that area now because it’s never how I imagine it. When I think of that area, I recall the many, many years it was an open pit with construction crews facing numerous hurdles while building the memorial and museum that honors everyone we lost and everyone impacted by 9/11. I worked at American Express for 4 years, and every day I walked over a footbridge that crossed that construction site. All of that is gone now, but it continues to live in my mind from those formative years of my career.
Every year, I’m reminded of how powerful memory is. How memory is often just as alive, if not more so, than what physically exists in the present. I think about how much these beloved people have missed. How much they are missed. How much they will always be missed. I think about how many people are still impacted by illnesses caused by that terrible day and the many days after. And how all of them, and all who love them, deserve justice and are still waiting for it.
Photos of the 9/11 Memorial, the Oculus, and the light beams symbolizing the towers blazing toward the sky last week from the roof of my apartment building in Brooklyn. Photos by Christa Avampato.
The short of it:
Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day.
The long of it:
My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events.
While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series.
A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist.
My company:
I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media:
• I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference;
• I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable;
• I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me.
Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.
View all posts by Christa Avampato
I'd love to know what you think of this post! Please leave a reply and I'll get back to you in a jiffy! ~ CRA Cancel reply
Christa Avampato 