What does Blossom Jack have in common with former NYFD firefighter Kevin Shea? Something for sure because after finding Kevin Shea's photos and story in the August 21 New York Times Sunday's magazine, I couldn't help crying and turning to sort it out in this blog. Shea was a firefighter who broke his neck on the morning of September 11 when he was in the tower then lost consciousness. He was diagnosed with retrograde amnesia, and the first NYTimes photo essay "Which Way Did He Run?" (Jan. 13, 2002) helped him track his steps on September 11. In 2004 he retired from firefighting and built a residential dome out of mostly recycled, reused and reclaimed materials in upstate New York. He's also helped to build a O Wildlife Preserve in Nicaragua and has become a HAZMAT expert and social entrepreneur. Maybe his story hit me maybe because he's my age, though I didn't notice that at first. I was 34 too when September 11 happened. Or is it because of the photos or because he turned to conservation too? Or because I spent half of my life in New York and firefighters like Shea are essentially the heroes of my generation? It just struck me, would I even have a blog like this if September 11 hadn't happened? Would so many Americans in my generation have an ecological consciousness, one that is becoming more global? And is it anxiety and grief that we collectively feel or something more real or both?
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