Quote:
Originally Posted by golfing eagles
I hear you. That day was a tragedy for all of America, but for those of us from the NYC area it impacted us in a way that non-New Yorkers can't understand.
I was taking a break in the physicians lounge and someone said turn on the TV, a plane hit the towers. I remember looking at the first tower burning and thinking that it didn't look like a small plane, but couldn't imagine a commercial airliner getting that far off course. Then I saw the second tower hit in real time and my heart sank as it was instantly clear this was intentional. Then the pentagon, and the uncertainty of where flight 93 was headed.
I graduated from a small high school with 99 in my class, everyone knew each other, two of them died that day, One a trader for Cantor Fitzgerald and the other a NYC firefighter. My son was in the air from Phoenix to Boston over Indiana when the order to ground all flights came. My brother would do business at the WTC once a week and my nephew worked nearby---all phone circuits were busy and there was no way to check on them. One of our bridesmaid's father worked in the #7 building, and was almost hit by a jumper as they evacuated the building, he was never the same again. When I was in school, my roommate's friend was a trader on the commodities floor, I even got to wear a smock and badge and stand right in the middle of the action one time, and had dinner at Windows on the World several times. Fortunately, that trader was still on the train headed to work. My friend Mark had just married an executive with Quantas, and was going to accompany her to a conference in LA, from their home in Boston. At the last minute she told him the schedule changed and she would be in meetings 10 hours a day, so why doesn't he drop me off at Logan and then drive to Auburn to see his niece. He was halfway down the Mass Pike when the radio announced what happened and the flight number. You could find him every night in the last seat at the bar at our country club.
Twenty years later, and it is still hard to recount this story. I hope this epidemic doesn't have the same effect on people as 9/11.
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I was blessed not to have lost anyone I knew that day. It was a spectacularly beautiful late summer/early autumn day. Far too beautiful for people to lose their lives. My friend Jack lived in New Jersey and had an argument with his wife over taking out the trash. He missed his train while taking it out. Best argument ever!
I know I cannot easily speak about that day. I break down pretty much every time. I hope, as you, that people are not affected the same way because of the virus.