I headed to New York Sunday for a quick trip to the National Retail Federation 97th Annual Convention and Expo, a.k.a. Retail’s Big Show.

I mainly went to cruise the show and get info and meet a lot of the exhibitors.

I ended up with a bit of extra time on Tuesday, so I headed down to the World Trade Center Site. I’ve never been. I went on a walking tour with Tribute NYC. These tours are led by people whose lives were profoundly changed by September 11th. Each tour is unique and connects those who want to hear stories with those who want to share them. One thing that surprised me is that 75% of my tour was from Europe, mostly England.

My tour was led by Ruth and by Jack.

Ruth is a lifelong Manhattanite and volunteered extensively during the recovery effort and since then. Jack lost his 32 year old son. His son was a firefighter and ran into those buildings. They think his son made it to around the 40th floor carrying over 100 lbs of gear before the building collapsed. If you ever need a way to tell your kids what true heros are, tell them about firefighters and the like that run towards danger and to their own deaths oftentimes to try and help people and save lives. It’s hard for me to comprehend that.

I couldn’t help but feeling a lot of emotion and sadness by the tragedy of it all. But more than that I was proud, because all over that site, things are being rebuilt. I think that’s very entrepreneurial. New York was knocked down by this tragedy. But the site is alive with activity.

Things have been rebuilt and repaired. Buildings will be built there again.

And the tragedy and the lives lost will be remembered. By the memorials that will be completed on the site yes, but I think more by the fact that great people with great spirit rebuilt what was lost. That’s pretty cool if you ask me.