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Post by flossieskid on Sept 14, 2021 3:50:01 GMT -5
PatriciaAnne - thank you for your touching recollections of such a memorable day for all Americans. My extended family live in New York and, of course, we were very concerned for them, but I can’t imagine living through such a frightening time, as you did. Thank you for presenting your thoughts so eloquently. I am sorry you had to experience the uncertainty of not knowing if your friends were safe. That must have been unbearable.
How amazing your job took you out of harm’s way. My cousin was owner and editor of the magazine, “Manhattan File” and the office was just a few streets away from the WTC. The building was destroyed. She and her fiancée were planning on getting married in the summer of 2002. But, they realized life is so uncertain and no one is promised tomorrow, so they got married Thanksgiving weekend 2 months later.
You must feel, PatriciaAnne, you have a lot more to accomplish here. You sound like you have made a happy life for yourself. That, alone, is inspiring.
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Post by patriciaanne on Sept 14, 2021 8:30:50 GMT -5
Thank you,Tracey, for your kind and sweet thoughts. Although I was never in direct danger that day, I do feel blessed that after 12 years spent downtown, I was spared witnessing the carnage by moving to another job outside the city. And of course I think of my years spent working in the WTC (especially on the 101st floor) and I shudder.
The stories of survivors who reported their colleague said, "I just have to send one more email" and they never saw him/her again hit me especially hard. That probably would have been me! But no more. At the first sign of trouble, I'm OUT. I was on the 40th floor of a building in NYC when we felt a significant shake from an earthquake in VA (2011 or 2012). As soon as the shaking stopped, I packed up and left. I said, "See ya later. I'm working the rest of the day from home!"
That's a very sweet story about your friends moving up their wedding. It's amazing how terrible tragedies will make you reorder your priorities.
My family was blessed in one other way on 9/11. First, if my father had not been retired, he would have been in the command center that the building collapsed upon. Second, my father went down once a week (every Monday) to help one of the police associations, which happened to be in the Woolworth Building, a few short blocks from the WTC. My father never would have been able to walk all those blocks to evacuate. He had been there just the day before. I was so grateful he was spared that experience. I am sure I would have been insane if my father were down there. I would have been driving down to the city to look for him.
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