But when he comes to the subject of his own loss, he slows down and seems suddenly heavier. Katherine worked for an insurance broker on the 97th floor of Tower One. They had been married for twelve years.

“I absolutely hate talking about it,” he says. “It is emotionally draining. Even if you chose not to be an activist, you’d still turn on the TV and see those fucking planes going into the towers. Every time you get caught in airport security, it tears on you.”

Soon enough, he’s in tears.

“I do not have anything back,” he says. “I do not have a grave for my wife. The thing that’s kept me involved is, yeah, I miss my wife. I still miss my wife.”

See also: Last Chance for 9/11 Memorials to Claim a Piece of the World Trade Center