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I was working in North Bergen NJ at the time...for Liz Claiborne. Normally I'd take Route 3 to work but I decided to take route 80 (as I figured less traffic and I'm always a few minutes late to work...much to my bosses chargrin). I made it on to Tonelle Avenue (which is a main road about 4 blocks from where I worked).
4 lanes of traffic were merged into 2 as a huge water main broke. I was thinking to myself,cripes my boss is going to go ballistic. I called my friend @ work and said - tell Tahseen I'm going to be a bit late. He said - Sure Steve but there's something major going on in ny. Get here when you get here.
And I did....eventually get to work and parked on the roof of the parking garage. Normally there would be a few people outside having a smoke or 2 but that gorgeous September morning there were...lot's of peope outside. I stepped out of my car and joked " wow a welcoming committee" . I was told to look across the river into NY and i saw one of the world trade buildings on fire/smoking. I said..what happened? Early reports say it was a private planed that crashed into the building.
I clocked in and went back outside and we were all talking about what was going on,listening to a portable radio we had.
Then....then another plane hit and my heart dropped. The collective gasps and cries were heard. I couldn't wrap my head around what i was seeing. I ran inside and told my co workers who ran to the window in disbelief. I called my dad @ his office *who was a town over* and told what was happening. He was in shock. I tried to call my gf at the time and i couldn't get through, nor could i get through to my mom. A co worker sat down with me and we said nothing but looked at each other. We went home (early day..and the ONE time I didn't care that i was leaving early) and I was glued to the news. Sure things like this happen overseas and you feel bad..but in our backyard? Here? I held my gf and we cried ...I said our lives have now changed ....things are different...and they were and are.
I'm not a overly religious man nor am i super patriotic but I can't think of a better place to live and love in. My grandparents came to this country to escape religious intolerance and to have a better live and i'm glad they did.
G0D Bless the United States of America (and the firemen,police,emt's and our Troops who every day do the selfless sacrifice).
