story3300.xml

story3300.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I remember the day vividly. It was a very clear day with a sunny blue sky and I was walking to my office from Penn Station listening to my walkman. I was listening to the radio and not a CD as I usually do. The radio announcer said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I, like many others, assumed that it was small plane and although I felt a tug in my emotions, I didn't think much more about it. As I walked into my office, the phone was ringing and it was my husband who said "did you hear the news" and I answered yes, I heard that a plane hit the World Trade Center. He said "no, Linda, another plane hit the other tower." As I heard those words, my stomach lie at my feet when the realization that we were attacked hit me.

I am a marketing manager of a law firm and part of my duties and a big part of my nature is to nurture people. I immediately had a television turned on, consulted with the managing partner of the firm about how to proceed with the day and called upon my catering service to deliver lunch for 100 people so no one had to leave the building if they didn't want to.

By the time lunch hour arrived, most of the employees opted to leave and go home. I had been on the streets earlier trying to secure hotel rooms for clients and employees who may not be able to get home and saw how chaotic it was. When I returned to the office I called my husband and told him that I was staying put until I knew that I could get home safely. I felt that perhaps I was safer where I was then out on the streets at that moment.

My older daughter had just settled into college campus life a few weeks prior to 9/11 and I knew that she would probably be worried about me. The phones lines were down but I was able to contact her by email. It took hours for me to be able to call my father in South Carolina but I finally got through to tell him that I was ok.

After I spoke to my family members, I turned my attention to the office and tried my best to help in anyway I could. About 4:00 the managing partner of the firm came by to say that he thought we were probably the last 2 in the office and I should go home to be with my family. I wasn't sure that the railroad was operational yet, so I took a subway and met my husband in Queens where he picked me up. He never looked so good!!!!!

I couldn't wait to get home and hug and kiss my younger daughter (who was 14 at the time and didn't quite understand the impact of the events). We went to a diner in the neighborhood so that we would sit together and talk over a meal and it was somewhat therapeutic to do so. We pointed out the smoke that could be seen miles away in Long Island to her and she spoke about the time that she accompanied me to the World Trade Center to visit a friend. She remembered the wonderful view that Mary had from her office of the Statute of Liberty. Luckily, Mary had decided to leave Marsh and McLennan the year before!

9/11 has changed me. I hope that I am more patient with people, less worried about cleaning the house than spending time with my family. I've always been spiritual. My daughter has decided to transfer schools and she is now at a college in Manhattan instead of the hills of upstate New York. Do I worry about her being in Manhattan? No, I'm happy to be able to peek at her sleeping in her bed at night again -- as if she were 3 years old again.