At 8am Eastern Daylight Time I got out of bed and
turned on the
Today show while I ate a little cereal.
Nothing but the
mundane being discussed. I put my
running
clothes on and left the house around 8:35 for a 6 mile run.
50 minutes later I came inside and put on some music;
I
stretched,
showered,
dressed, and
left for work.
Since it was clear and cool, I decided on the 20 minute
walk
over the 5 minutes
bike. I stopped into a cafe for a
20 oz
coffee to go.
I chose to walk up the 3 flights of stairs to my office.
Just as I put my
key into the
lock, the
phone rang.
I wasn't surprised when I heard my dad's voice; it was a
usual time to hear from him.
"Miles, I'm okay."
"Umm, ok." I thought, so am I. Then it occurred to me
that something must have happened in the New York City
area. An accident.
"You haven't heard anything?"
"No."
"A plane flew into the World Trade Center." My thoughts:
a private plane, a mishap, dozens of people hurt, the
pilot dead.
"An accident?"
"No. There were two planes, I think. Something's happened
at the Pentagon too."
"Jesus Christ."
"I was on the PATH train toward the Center,
and they diverted us. I could see flames coming from one of
the towers. When I got to work, they were both on fire.
Next time I looked out my window, there was only one tower standing.
And the next time, it was gone too. I called your sister and
grandma, they know I'm okay."
My dad commutes through the World Trade Center everyday.
A decade ago, he had an office is World Trade Center Two
(IIRC),
the South Tower, the one without the big steeple.
If his schedule had been only slightly different, I would have
heard about the attack on the web and through coworkers.
I would have spent all day yesterday trying to contact him, waiting
with my heart in my throat for news, any news. Even knowing
how close my father was to this tragedy, I can't imagine what
the day would have been like if I hadn't heard about the tragedy
from him.
These attacks are the saddest, scariest events of my life.
I have the deepest sympathy for the families of those
many people murdered yesterday.