Nine years ago today a terrible tragedy happened in our beautiful country. It was a gorgeous day...picture perfect. I was living in Brooklyn, NY on my way to work on the subway. We were at the Dekalb Avenue station about to cross the Manhattan Bridge when I heard the announcer come on the loudspeaker. He said that “a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center”. Usually, when you ride the subway everyday, you know every stop coming up for work and you don't pay attention to the announcements (the only time you do listen is when the train hasn't moved in some time). I was panicked, once we started approaching the Manhattan Bridge I looked out the window and couldn't believe my eyes and I gasped. People on the train were wondering why I made a noise like that and they looked. I will never forget seeing the flames and smoke coming out of the tower. As we crossed the bridge and got into the city you could only hear the rumble of the train on the tracks, there was absolute silence on the train. As I got off my stop at Grand Central Terminal, you could see the shock and sadness on everyones faces and within seconds the transit police telling everyone to evacuate Grand Central. As I arrived at my office, we were all hugging each other, asking if anybody knew anyone in the towers, the flights, first responders, etc. We were calling people who weren't in the office yet. We sat in the offices with TVs and watched in horror. All I could do was think of everyone in those buildings and their families. When both towers fell my heart just sank and the tears were uncontrollable. When we heard about the Pentagon and Shanksville, PA and the lives that were lost on the planes that day we were all just devastated. Our cell phones weren’t working because the antennas were on the towers. So, I couldn’t get word to family and my family couldn’t reach me.
I will never forget in the hours and days that passed all the news reports, the pictures of loved ones missing posted everywhere and just the sadness in everyones eyes. How total strangers would touch someones shoulder or give a hug to comfort one another. I knew two people that died on that tragic day. One woman, Joanne Rubino, who was a friend of the family and the other was Daniel Crisman my friend Danielles fiance. They were good people who did not deserve this to happen to them. (Update: 9/11/2021: I just found out that they both worked for the same company Marsh & McLennan. Joanne worked in the tax department for more than 20 years and Daniel was on his way to his first day and excited.)
As every day that passed, you would see how people changed. I changed. You were cautious of your surroundings, but, you went out of your way for anyone that crossed your path. The way that people used to perceive New Yorkers that we were rude and selfish was long gone. People were now seeing the real New Yorker. We are strong, resilient, supportive, caring and we know what we want and we are not afraid to express it. We speak the truth and stand by our word. But, if someone needs help or is in danger, we are there to help them. We were United.
I remember when I was younger my parents would take my sister, my brother and I up to the top of Twin Towers and we would stay up there for hours, just in awe of how high we were and the beauty of the city. Whenever, we would drive from Brooklyn into Manhattan I would always treasure seeing the Manhattan skyline day or night. We would go to the promenade in Brooklyn to see the fireworks for the 4th of July. I also had my senior prom at the Vista, which being 17 and seeing the Twin Towers at night for your prom was thrilling. For my birthday in August 2001, my friends and I went on a dinner cruise that went around Manhattan. It was so beautiful seeing the skyline at night and especially how beautiful downtown and the Statue of Liberty looked. We were all saying to each other that we should all plan a night to go out to dinner at Windows of the World...which unfortunately we never got to do.
My thoughts and prayers are with those lives lost and families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001. Thank you to all the first responders from the FDNY, NYPD and the NYARNG (101 Cav, 69th IN, 256 FA) who risked their lives that tragic day. Thank you to all the men and women who defend our freedom by serving in the Military. We will never forget!!
