(meteorobs) Nothing Will Ever Be Same

I work on East 39th Street in Manhattan, far enough from the WTC to be safe from the attack. But not far enough from the in-human creatures who are responsible. I received a call about the first collision just minutes after it occurred and turned on my radio. After the second plane hit, I went to the conference room to view the destruction on television. We then knew that the only accident was the unfortunate birth of the terrorists.

When the first building collapsed, I left my office to return home. I didn't know how I was going to get there (25 miles north of the city), I just knew that I needed to be with my family. Office buildings were being evacuated. People were standing on the streets, they were crying, dazed, confused as what to do, where to go. I looked south and saw the huge cloud of dust, I froze. It was as if a cloud was being released from the earth and traveling up to take its place in the sky, but it never left, it stayed to mark the spot where tens of thousands should have been conducting their lives, as they had every right to do on this, what should have been, a beautiful late Summer day.

I walked the few blocks to Grand Central Station, to try and get a train to Westchester. An announcement was made that a train was leaving shortly, a rush to the gate broke out. A few minutes later another announcement was made, the Terminal was being evacuated. A strange thing happened, everyone immediately left the train and station, but not as quickly as they ran to get on the train. I wondered why?

I then got on a bus heading north, there were a number of people from the UN building, which had also been evacuated, some were quietly crying. Cell phone lines were jammed and someone said that the pay phones were not working either. Another passenger with a pager said that the second building had just come down. The bus crawled for eight blocks and I got off and started walking north. Every few minutes I would turn around to see the growing cloud that told of the horrific events just a few miles away. I was wearing a business suit and uncomfortable shoes. I stopped into a sporting goods store to buy running shoes and continued walking north.

The slow traffic was caused by a bridge to Queens that was closed at 59th Street. Above 59th, the traffic was very light, but many people were walking north, filling the sidewalks. I walked in the street. Many were waiting for buses (that never came), others were trying to hail cabs (all were taken). Somewhere in the 90's I found an available cab, but he couldn't take me. None of the bridges and tunnels were open, he didn't know how he would get to his home in Brooklyn. I kept walking.

I heard bits and pieces from car radios as I continued north. I felt numb, I felt anger, I knew that nothing will ever be the same again for so many. I was worried about the possibility of war, I have two sons in their teens. I tried to think of those I knew that worked in lower Manhattan, and their families. I felt tears on my cheeks.

My cell phone rang, it was my wife. She works in northern Westchester and was heading home. I was on 102nd Street and hoped that trains were running from the station at 125th Street. She heard on the news that no trains were running. I told her that I would find a way. When I arrived at 125th Street a train official was walking down the platform making an announcement. A train would be here shortly. A minute later it arrived and I was home an hour later. The boys came home from school, a number of their friends have parents that work in or near the WTC. Some had been heard from, others not. I prayed.

This morning I came to my office, I'm not sure why. The train was nearly empty. There were barricades on 42nd Street leading to the UN. Police were milling around. A pro football team was leaving their hotel, no one was asking for autographs. I picked up something to eat, it is still in the bag. I read the many e-mails from this list. I am encouraged that so many have expressed kind words.

I only hope and pray that those who are suffering receive the comfort they need. That those who are aiding in the rescue of survivors are blessed for their efforts and achieve whatever success is possible. That those who will investigate this disaster, find the clues that lead them to the cowardly murderers. We need to return to our lives as quickly as possible to show the terrorists that their efforts have achieved ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. No good can ever come from such acts.

I now need to vent my emotion and anger, a colleague just told me of the loss of a loved one. There is no punishment equal to the crimes that have been committed. I can only hope that those we trust to protect us find ways to prevent future attacks. Ultimately who is responsible, we all are. We want freedom. That same freedom that we cherish so much also allows maniacs to commit these acts. However, we also want peace, they do not. Freedom must be denied to those who advocate anything but peace. That must be our check and balance. Speak of violence and you lose your freedom to act in a peaceful society.

Stephen Kaplan
Vice President
The Lakeside Group, Inc.
210 East 39th Street
New York, NY 10016
Phone (212) 679-3800
Fax (212) 679-3823
skaplan@lakesideglobal.com

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