nmah3893.xml

nmah3893.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

I had been laid off from my job as an e-commerce project manager in the downtown area earlier that year. I was at home that morning deciding what to wear to my new position as a Sr. Project Manager with WorldCom. I was to start my new job the next morning. As I was looking through my closet the news was on in the background. To my horror the story began unfolding. I live in Long Beach, NY and many hundreds of NYC Firemen live in town. Many of my close friends were firemen. My biggest fear was Larry. Larry is a NYC fireman and a very close friend. We were in the beginnings of a romantic relationship and I had no idea what had become of him. All I knew was that the towers had collapsed and thousands of people were dead. September 11, 2001 was a bad enough day for me but it was the next day that was hell on earth. I still had to report to my new job with all the enthusiasm that is expected. The office that I was to work for was out on Long Island and far enough from the tragedy that very few people had been personally effected. It is never a good idea to bring your personal life to work and would be completely unacceptable on your first day. So to work I reported. I stood and shook hands with my new colleagues with a smile mask on my face. Took up residence in my new office and fought off tears every minute. It was all I could do to not run from the building crying. I was not only still missing Larry but many other firemen friends as well. The news went on and on about how many firemen were feared dead. So, for me the 12th to 14th were the worst days while I forced myself to go about my business while I waited for word on Larry and friends. Larry finally called me on Friday. It was the first chance that he got. They were all down at ground zero 24/7 and he was unable to call until then. So now on Sept 11, 2002 I'm sitting in my office as I remember those days and await another layoff. This has been an interesting couple of years for me. I have survived many history making events from the dot.com collapse to the trade center collapse to the WorldCom collapse. But I am still here and still looking forward with enthusiasm and hope.

I take the people in my life less for granted.

That children lost fathers and mothers. Wives and husbands lost spouses. Friends lost friends. Everybody lost something if not just a bit of innocence. We must remember those people that involuntarily gave their lives because of the American way of life.

yes, I flew it on my car until it disintegrated. And no, my feeling remain the same.