This story is just about that morning.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was at my job in midtown NYC. We were on an early conference call with a client in the World Trade Center (one of the lower floors of the North Tower). Anyway, the TV that was playing in our office suddenly showed images of an explosion at top of the WTC. I remember distinctly that the first TV images (captured several minutes after the impact) did not seem to show excessive smoke/fire.

Being blase New Yorkers, we were closely tuned to the news but I recall everyone saying, “Must have been a small aircraft…a mistake.” Anyway, we ended the conference call but I distinctly recall no one being THAT upset or panicked.

However, that soon changed when we all saw the 2nd plane hit on live TV. Again, I can’t recall exactly when the thoughts crystallized but someone at work cried out, “oh my God, thousands of people must be dead right now.”

I don’t want to go too much into it but the next few minutes/hours were horrific as we heard the news about the Pentagon. I don’t want to play into the terrorist’s goal of creating mass panic either because at least in midtown, there was no panic at all. Yes, the streets quickly clogged with passengers (my whole office left…the thinking was, get yourself home and out of harm’s way…) but people were moving calmly and orderly. some people were crying softly on the street and many crowds gathered around taxi cabs that had pulled over and turned up their radios for people to hear.

It was a day when NY’ers really pulled together, yes it was horrific and tragic and sickening and yes we were scared out of our minds but people were helping each other out. I hosted about 5 people to spend the night in my apartment alone.

Anyway that’s all I can face remembering now. God bless all the victims of 9/11.