nmah5109.xml

nmah5109.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-18

I had just finished breakfast at the National Association of Bankruptcy Trustees meeting in Fort Myers, Florida. We were getting ready to head home. We passed the hotel's business center and heard someone say that a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Back at our room I turned the television to see the second plane crash into the other tower.

My brother worked at the World Financial Center several days a week, acessing his transportation through the WTC. All I could think about was where he was, and was he safe. We reached home by cell phone, and found out he was not in New York that day. However, we were now stuck in Florida, our school age children and their grandparents at home in New Jersey.

We were able to keep our rental car, and made arrangements to drive home from Florida. The interstate highway in front of Disney World was deserted, with the big signs reading "Theme Parks closed today". We arrived home the next day.

As a former New Yorker and daily subscriber to the NY Times, I still cannot pull myself away from the stories of the event, and its victims. No one that I knew personally perished that day, but a waiter at our local diner lost his sister.

Somewhat. I do not take anything mundane for granted, and am much more aware of the world around me.

It should be remembered that in spite of what happened, and that there will always be evil in this world, our freedoms and liberty should not be taken for granted. We should remember the good in most people, the kind and heroic things people did for one another that day and since. We should better prepare ourselves for dealing with those who wish to abridge those freedoms. But we should always be mindful of the protections our Constitution provides.

Yes, and had a flag up every day for some time before the 11th. No, my feelings have not changed. I have always been proud to be an American, the second generation to be born here in my family.