I was 10 or so, and the World Trade Center was built but the observation deck wasn’t opened yet. I remember being disappointed that we were there but not able to go to that outside area. So we (my Godfather and I) took the elevator to the highest floor and found a staircase that took us to the observation deck. The thrill was twofold. Both the view that was breathtaking combined with the fact the fact that we were doing something that was a bit illegal, as we snuck up to this location.
After this, The World Trade Center was a fixture, a part of the New York skyline. My mother’s office moved from mid-town to the Trade Center, and my ride into Manhattan, for both high school and college, gave me a glimpse of the towers for 8 years.
I graduated and moved away from NY in 1984, but visited often. Even from mid-town, the towers were visible.
My daughter was born in 1998, and wasn’t yet two when the attack happened. I turned on CNBC before I left for work that day and saw the plane hit. I called my mom in NY and she was home. She had a reduced schedule as she was recovering from surgery, losing half a lung to cancer, and only working a three day schedule. She worked for a law firm whose office was at the trade center, and fortunately, they all got out. Others weren’t so fortunate.
The photo above is from a print I have on the wall in my home office. It’s the image that will remain with me no matter what the skyline of New York looks like.
We lost many loved ones in this attack and the very skyline of the most magnificent city was changed forever. My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones on that day, I know too many people who had close relatives who lost their lives on 9/11 and my thoughts will be with them always.
The attack happened when I was 12 and I don’t really care until I got older. I watched a documentary about the 9/11 tragedy on a news T.V. And I was shocked when I saw people jumping from the windows of the tower. The Mayor said the bodies were all “pulverized”.