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story398.xml

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2002-04-12

This is part of an e-mail I wrote and sent a couple of days after September 11.

I hope you understand. I have been talking about this for more than two days. There were so many calls and e-mails. I came in and composed an e-mail for everyone that I hadn't actually talked to. I am worn out.

Over the past two days I have received a lot of telephone calls and e-mails. My family and I appreciate your prayers and concern. My prayers go out to all of those who have lost family, friends and co-workers.

I left home early on Tuesday to vote in the Primary and to get to the office in time for a 10 am meeting. Five colleagues and I had a 4 pm flight to Atlanta that afternoon. All that know me, know that I usually don't leave home before 10 a.m. As I drove toward the Midtown Tunnel, I heard that a plane hit the WTC. I thought it was a small plane that had lost it's way or gotten in trouble. I immediately dialed (using my cell phone) my sister who works there and left her a voice message. Next, I called my daughter who had gotten back earlier that morning (after midnight) from a Mexican vacation that involved travel from LA via Dallas to NYC, asking her to try to reach my sister and to try to learn which building had been hit. I also called Barbara, my co-worker, who was already at work, and asked her to go online to CNN to try to determine which building had been hit. I didn't know at the time which building my sister worked in. It turned out she worked in Building 6. As I drove toward the tunnel, I pulled up alongside someone from the fire department and asked him which building? He said that he didn't know, only that there was a fire. My cell phone stopped working. As I drove along the expressway, I could see the two towers clearly. Both were on fire. Continuing to listen to the radio reports, I learned that it was an act of terrorism and that another plane crashed into the other tower. About 1/2 mile before the tunnel's entrance traffic stopped. We sat in our cars and watched the buildings burn and emergency personnel and vehicles speed to Manhattan using the express lane. As traffic began to move, the radio announced that one of the towers collapsed. My view was obstructed at that point, so I didn't see it happen. They turned us around at the tunnel entrance. I wasn't too keen on going through the tunnel at that point anyway. I quickly drove back home. When I got home, I had 9 telephone messages. The first was from my sister, crying and panicked, saying that there was a bomb in the building and that they were trapped and couldn't get out. I cannot express the terror that I felt. I began praying, asking the Lord not to let that message be the last time I heard my sister's voice. The messages continued to play and the 5th message, which came approximately an hour after the first one, was from my sister saying that she had gotten out and was taking the bridge (walking) home. Two and a half hours later, she still wasn't home. At one point we thought maybe she had gotten out and was hit by fallen debris. As it turns out she had gone to the hospital and was treated and given medication for trauma.

I cannot tell you how grateful I am for family, friends, co-workers and colleagues. Today is my first day back in the office. Many people called the office to inquire about my and my sister's well-being. The worst part was not knowing and feeling helpless. The telephones weren't working. I am so glad that I wasn't home when my sister's first call came in. I don't think I would have been able to survive that hour until she could call and say that she was alright. I cannot even imagine the pain of the families that still don't know what happened to their loved ones.

I have spent the last two days glued to the television set. I know this is more than you ever wanted to know, but I had to get it out. Life is so precious. The things I was bitching and moaning about on Monday were so, so immaterial on Tuesday. I am feeling a sense of loss. I cannot explain why.

This e-mail is for you only and is not to be distributed.