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I thought I'd share with you where I was on 911.  UGH!  I can't wait until tomorrow when all this news footage is over.
On 911, I was working in the Governor's Office in Midtown Manhattan.  I believe it was Mini's 5th day in kindergarten.  Her school was just 5 blocks from my office in Manhattan.  We live in Queens.  The day started out normally, up early...rode the bus for 1+ hours into the city...dropped Mini off in the school yard...spoke for a minute with the other kindergarten moms about our fears and expectations for our kids as they begin this journey.
When I got to my office, a few of my colleagues were in one of the conference rooms, eating bagels and looking out the window towards the World Trade Center.  I joined them and saw one of the buildings had a huge hole in it.  I asked, what happened?  They didn't know and everyone began debating what we thought may have happened...when BAM!  While we were watching the second plane hit.  It felt like I was watching a movie...I remember telling everyone, let's get out of here.  They looked at me like I was crazy...and said, it was probably just an accident.  But, I knew better in my bones and hello, this is the Governors office...I just knew there was a bomb in the building, just waiting to go off...We were on the 36th floor...How were we going to get out of the building if they shut the elevators down?  Walk?  I called my sister at work, she had no idea what was going on...I filled her in as best I could and told her I was going to get Mini and we would be on our way home.   Yeah right!  That was just the beginning of my adventure.

I ran through the streets to Mini's school.  Most of the people I passed on my way had no idea what had just happened.  Most had just arrived in the city and were busy getting breakfast, buying their newspapers...Little did we know what the news of the day would be.  I arrived at Mini's class and told the teacher we had to go.  Remember now, they are in school...without a t.v.  They have no idea what's going on.  Mini's teacher, Mrs. Santiago, thought I was a crazy women...and told me to go into the office and sign her out.  I did.  Now, when we get onto the street...everyone is aware of what is going on.  People are screaming, crying...asking each other what should we do?  I was terrified!  How were we going to get home...We started walking to towards train station, when someone started shouting, "the trains are shut down!"  FEAR, is all I remember...and my little Mini, looking up at me asking, "what's going on mommy?"  I picked her up and started running towards her dad's house (he lives in Manhattan...on the other side of town...but in Manhattan)...while running, a bus pulled up and everyone tried to get on...I had Mini in my arms so they made room for us.  While on the bus, someone screamed, "the towers just fell."  Everyone started crying and screaming...Mini and I were quiet.  The Twin Towers just collapsed?  ...as a teenager the World Trade Center was my shopping mall...a place where all the kids in Manhattan hung out after school...and after graduating some of us, like me, worked in those offices...we partied in the clubs that were in those building...as I think about it now, I came of age in those buildings.

Mini and I arrived at her dad's house...and hunkered down there for the night...We watched the madness that was going on right outside our windows on the t.v.  It was a nightmare...truly...

Mini and I didn't go back to work or school for a couple of days.  We had no idea what would happen next.  Should Mini even return to school in Manhattan?  But, she was sick and I needed her close to me in case of a medical emergency...little did I know what the true emergency would be.

The Governor's office turned into a triage center for all the people and businesses that were affected by 911.  For weeks our lobby was full of men and women seeking assistance from the Government.  I had to do intake and interviewed hundreds of people who had lost everything...sigh.  I can't believe I lived through this.

My heart goes out to all the families who's loved one's went to work just like I did that morning...but, they didn't return.

Be well.