I was at work at Merrill Lynch, when another broker, Pat Smith, yelled out, "Oh, my God. A plane has crashed into the World Trade Towers." Everyone in the office ran to the TV, and watched the horror unfold. I don't know how long it was, but it was after the second tower collapsed, when the PA system in our building told us that everyone must evacuate. Even though the stock market was closed, I thought our having to evacuate the building was ridiculous. The likelihood of terrorists attacking a small four story office building in Louisville, KY, was practically nil. As I left the building, I was horrified, sad, shocked, and angry. I needed to do something to help. What could I do? Then it hit me, I'm driving to the Red Cross and donating blood. A secretary told me I was wasting my time, because they are all dead. Though I knew she was probably right, I spent several hours at the Red Cross blood donation center that day nonetheless. Why several hours? That was because I was waiting in a very long line with a lot of other people, who had the same idea.
A better story is what a friend, David Tate, told me. He was the manager of a Prudential satellite brokerage office in Louisville. He had recently hired two trainees, and they were going through Prudential classes in New York, in the second World Trade Tower. They were on a break out in the hallway, when they saw all sorts of paper flying around, and smoke coming from the other tower. The building's PA system announced that everything was under control, and that everyone should remain where they were. They looked at each other and said, "Bullshit, we're getting out of here.", and they did. Though they had to take the stairs, they escaped, and both are alive today.
Though ten years have gone by, I still carry the emotions from that day. However, the emotion that remains the strongest is anger.
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
