My View From Here Has Changed — And So Have I

How a neighborhood wall became a living tribute to September 11th, and a reminder to consciously and continually look for the beauty unfolding around us.

The View from Here 09–14–2025

Author’s Photo (September 11, 2025): The View as it is today, under the rising morning sun of a new day. Madison, Brooklyn, New York.

The Moment I Could Have Easily Missed

The views around us are changing constantly. There are multiple movies playing simultaneously. But because our eyes are trained to see only what we are focused on, we miss the magical moments, the transformation, the life, the growth, and the becoming.

On a quiet evening in early September, I stepped off my final bus of the day and nearly collided with a team of painters and artists. They were transforming the wall at Avenue R and Nostrand — a wall I’d passed countless times, often only with the thankful thought of being almost home.

I stopped to acknowledge the work, recognize the artists, and tell them that the faintest outlines looked beautiful.