What are your memories from that horrific day? Here's my story.
Living in the West Coast, both planes had already hit by the time I awoke shortly after 6am. Like every morning, I turned my TV on when I awoke and put it on CNBC. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and tried to focus on the image on my TV that did not look real.
I was working for a large brokerage firm at the time, but not one with offices in the World Trade Center. It was immediately clear to everyone that this was an enormous event whose long term impact was completely unknowable.
I sat up in bed, unable to move. I wondered whether I should even go to work. Finally, I decided that I should go on with my day until told otherwise. I showered, put on my shirt and tie, and got in my car. My ritual of LA sports talk in my car was met with somber reports from New York on all stations. It didn't matter, because I wasn't going to change it anyway. Just like everyone else, I needed to know what was happening.
When I arrived at my building, I found that security had already been beefed up. It's a small office building with only a few other companies. My manager had come out to personally okay the entry of each car in our office.
For the next several hours we watched the little 13 inch TV in the lunchroom in horror as we saw the events that will forever be etched in the minds of every American, and most of the world, unfold before our eyes. One at a time we would walk back to our desks to call friends and family who were in or around New York City or Washington D.C. Calls were also being made back and forth among friends and family simply to emote and and find if anyone else has any information that you had not yet heard.
I remember vividly that few customers walked into our office, most realizing that not only were the markets closed, but that there were more important things going on than their investment portfolio. However, a few customers did walk in. A couple of them looking as shell shocked as the rest of us. I remember one was oblivious. He had heard that something big was going on, but was annoyed that we couldn't help him with some investment issues.
It was then that our manager decided that it was time to shut the doors. I made a sign that read, "Due to today's tragic events and the closure of the financial markets, we have gone home to be with our loved ones."
I went back to my apartment, single at the time. I stood in front of my living room TV, weeping as I saw the CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald sobbing as he retold the story of why he was not in his 85th floor office along with his entire company, who had all apparently perished. I remember weeping as I saw the members of congress stand outside the Capitol Building, singing God Bless America, in what was probably the most genuine moment you will ever see with a group of politicians in front of international news media.
The world has not been the same since that day. I may complain about the knee jerk reactions, such as the Patriot Act, but I am thankful that I did not lose any loved ones that day. I am also thankful that our lives are still very normal. We can work, travel, dine and blog with freedom.
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Posted by: MBT Shoes | July 23, 2011 at 01:11 AM