9-11-01 A day of Reflection and Perspective for me

[Lisa33]

I know this has nothing to do with c-diff, but I want to pause to take a minute to share my feelings on this day, 9-11.

I live in NY and had worked in NYC for 15 years. On 9-11-01, I stood from my office window with many others on the 51st floor of 30 Rockefeller Center staring at a tower engulfed in flames. My view from the 51st floor was spectacular. I looked out to the Empire State Building with the Twin Towers behind it to the right. I had a NYC textbook view that I took for granted. That day my heart sunk as I knew my brother in law's sister (and my friend) worked in the building that was now in flames. As we stared out the window in disbelief, we saw the second plane come and hit the second tower. It was an image that is forever stained in my mind. It was so surreal. At this point, we knew we were under attack and everybody knew to get out of the building, given that we were in a NYC landmark. I called my mother to see if Michele was in the building yet, but she didn’t know. Another co-worker was trying to get in touch with his brother who worked in a building right next to the Trade Center, and another co-worker was trying to call her husband who worked in one of the towers as well. Panic was everywhere. We just wanted to go north and get out of the city. The streets were filled with people on phones, in panic and just not believing what was happening. We were lucky enough to get out of the city quickly since we saw what happened live. We got a cab to a train platform at 125th St. There were 5 of us, 2 being co-workers who lived in the city and just wanted out. I barely knew them, but they slept over my house that night. On the platform, we could see the smoke all the way from lower Manhattan. It was incredible and just surreal. That’s when my mother called and said that Shelly was in the building. She was just 23 years old and just started this job 4 weeks prior. She had moved into my complex with her sister and was beginning her career. She landed a great job on the 105th floor of the north tower for Cantor Fitzgerald. And then while we were on the train, people started to scream that the first tower fell. And the second tower (her building), fell shortly after. And that is just one story of many. My co-worker whose husband worked in one of the towers was at work already that day, but luckily made it out. However, he suffered from PTSD for several years because of what he saw. And not to mention all the brave FDNY who risked their own lives and ran into those burning buildings to save others. The view from my office was forever changed. It just smoldered for months, and then became an empty hole for years.

After 14 years, the skyline is beautiful again, the memorial is beautiful, but the details of that day are so vivid in my mind. I can't imagine those who were actually down there as this unfolded. Every year, I have a lump in my throat all day as I think of all those who lost their lives just going to work and going about their day. It also reminds me about how precious life is and puts things into perspective. We sometimes get so wrapped up in the grind of life that we forget to actually live it. Never take for granted the good in our lives – family, friends, good health and time to do things we enjoy to do. And don’t get wrapped up in the minutia of things that don’t really matter and just cause stress. Focus on the positives and don’t dwell on the negatives. Yesterday, there was a rare, beautiful rainbow that started from the World Trade Center. You can see it from this link.

http://abc7news.com/weather/rainbow-beg ... 11/977747/

[NikaNik]

So sorry about Shelly, Lisa. Tragic, tragic day. Although I wasn't working in the city on 9/11, my office now is located just a couple blocks from the new One World Trade (it's my view as I turn the corner) and I am in awe of it each time I am there.

I just love your advice. True. All of it. And that rainbow is just incredible. Hugs!

[Lisa33]

Thanks Nikki! One World Trade is so incredible! It must be so amazing to see it everyday. It definitely brings back beauty to the skyline. Although a different skyline, it's still beautiful, and is a symbol of resilience and strength.

[Bobbie]

I always remember thus day with horror and thanks, My older son and his friend biked every morning and alternated their route between the bike path by the World Trade Center and another one. Thank God, they took the second path on 9/11. He worked out of his apartment and when he returned, he was drinking a cup of coffee and looking out the window. He saw both planes hit the World Trade. MY niece also lived and worked in NYC but not near the Center.

Owe of our first moderator worked across the river from the Workd Trade Center and knew people who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. She said many died but the CEO took his son to his first day at kindergarten and when he got to work, the buildings had been hit. One minute or decision can change your life forever.

Thanks for sharing, Lisa. Many of us will never forget that day.

[Lisa33]

Thanks for sharing Bobbie as well. It's amazing how timing and decisions can change our life path instantly. Thank God your son and his friend took the other bike path that day. I'm sure he still remembers vividly what he saw from his window that morning. It was such a surreal day. There are so many tragic stories from that day, but there are also many stories of heroism and courage.

[notheidi]

Very powerful account of that day. So sorry. :'-(

I was on the bus on my way to graduate school. I remember thinking as I was driving to the bus stop, how serious everyone looked in their cars. Then I found out.

[roy]

An English saying.

"Lest we forget".

Some of you will remember an old moderator
Fire.
A firefighter
A sheriff
A very good human being.
Many years ago he sent me a DVD of 9/11 that was restricted to service personel.
Let's just say that what we see on TV is nothing to what is on that DVD.

[NanciT]

Thank you everyone for sharing your stories. The tragedies that occurred that day are so horrific, I think it's so important to remember and share stories. Thank you Lisa for starting this.

Although I am on the West coast, the nightmare touched many here. My husband had a business trip to PA that was cancelled the day before. I recall watching this horror and forgetting the trip had been cancelled for a very long moment. Sadly our neighbor Tom Burnett was on the flight that went down in PA, I drive over a bridge everyday that is dedicated to him.

So many lost.....

NanciT

[Cm1619]

Wow what a powerful story. Thank you so much for sharing! I cannot imagine witnessing that!

[code3rn]

Thank you for sharing, it gave me chills reading it all. May it be a lesson to all of us to be grateful for the lives we have and never forget the ones whose lives were lost.

[justme]

Although I was in Hawaii that fateful day, I knew my son was flying from the east coast to Chicago after returning from a tour in Saudi Arabia (he was a Lt. in the Air Force at the time). I was asleep when the first plane hit (it was about 5:30-6 am) and my husband heard the news on his way to work. He didn't want to wake me just to worry. My mother-in-law called and told me to turn on the news. I called my daughter-in-law in Missouri where they were stationed and asked if she had heard from Duke. She knew he had already taken off and was in the air, but didn't know which plane he was one. The conclusion - he was in one of the many planes in the air over New York. It was a terribly tense several hours until I got a call that he had landed in Chicago and was stuck in the terminal which was in lock down. I felt like one lucky lady that my son was not one of those who lost their lives in the planes or the buildings that horrible day.

Thank you Lisa and everyone else who shared their stories. I get a lump in my throat also every time I think about that terrible tragedy and all the lives that were lost or forever changed by an act of unspeakable evil.

Aloha to all,
Anne