- The Falling Man .

Since the ten year anniversary of 9/11, this photo, "the falling man", has stuck in my head day in and day out. Today is exactly a month after the anniversary and its about time i figure it out. There are so many pictures from that day of people who are now considered the "jumpers of 9/11", the people who had appeared to choose their own destiny. But as people fell, they were frantic, filled with panic, and all together unsettled. What compelled me about the falling man was the ease and grace that he had chosen to fall with, even though id almost rather say "fly". His body splits between the north and south tower, creating such symmetry between his body line and the two separate towers.Completely centered, this unknown man falls, head first, ultimately to his death. When we discussed it in social class with Mr. Gillespie, the majority of the class were utmost disgusted with the picture, saying it was distasteful and horrifying. I, on the other hand, see it completely different. I see this picture as beautiful. I see this man as more of an untold hero than someone that we should cry for. He's a role model for all i aspire to be. In saying this, I'm not saying i dream of suicide, I'm rather saying i wish to posses the contentment that he does. This picture isn't a sign of "giving up", id say its rather a sign of the complete opposite: "taking charge". When he chose to jump, he wanted to regain the control over how he will die rather than leaving that in the hands of men who took thousands of lives in the name of terrorism that same day.
I like to think of what would be running through his head as he fell. I feel like though he didn't have a long time to fall , his thoughts weren't raced, rather slow and peaceful. I like to think that i would be the same, that i would want the ultimate control over how my life would end. As i fell, id love to fall in love with NY all over again, seeing the city i loved from a different perspective; one id never seen before. Id listen to my heartbeat , and breathe in synchronicity. Id smell the burning towers and allow myself to become familiar with it, regardless of how much time reality allowed. id feel the air, warm and strong, over every surface of my body. This man lived that moment, that small fragment in time that can never be recreated in the same way, and through one photo of his outer composure, he has affected millions of people worldwide, who are captivated by this picture . If only it were possible to put his thoughts into words .
McCarthy today spoke about how "nothing is something and something is one." Once we die, we are no longer the individual, we are ultimately one as the human race. This picture fascinates me because of the anonymity of this man. He has no background story, no possessions, nothing that ultimately takes him aside from the greater "one" of the human race. In this, vulnerability is reached. A relatability that is the ultimate within theatre. The "falling man" himself is a character that everyone can relate to in one way or another. His body language allows for such a moving picture that is compelling to everyone around them. They want to know more, and they immediately are brought to the place of reflexion where they put themselves in the same situation, hoping to understand how one day they may react to the challenges thrown at us .
Imagine a silent montage of his most valued and stressed upon things in his life. Small scenes of almost insignificance, the things that led him to that point, the things that allowed him to come to terms with accepting his death. It'd be beautiful, powerful, and simple as anything, diving head first into one of the most relatable aspect of humanity, the willingness to accept death.
I don't think i could put into words what he was thinking at the time, because id rather see it as silent. As using his senses to take in his final moments on earth, and being at peace with his inevitable end. I think the rarity of this moment in time is what leaves such an impact on the world as an audience to the work of Richard Drew, a photographer who came to witness one of the most beautiful and most tragic events of Americas history.

Sound: Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley