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Date Posted: 11:14:21 09/20/01 Thu
Author: LS
Subject: My coworker's son in NYC writes...

Rose is such a sweet lady with whom I work. I wrote about her situation in the thread below, begun on the infamous September 11th date. She forwarded me an email from her son that I'm copying a pasting here, and, though depressing, I think his closing message is one of hope we all need to cling to. I am not posting the pics that came with it, but from his apt, there was a pic of the two towers smoldering, then one, then none.

-----------------------------------------------

Here is something my son wrote. He was working for Cantor Fitzgeral up until a few weeks ago, when he (fortunately) got laid off.  I am very proud of his sensitivity and his patriotism, displayed herein.  Also attached are three digital photos he took during the attack, as he watched the events unfold from his rooftop:

--------------

Maybe this is just venting...maybe I'm crazy... I wish everyone in the country could read this... or could know how I feel.  The towers fell, yes, but its the people within them that matter.
 
--
 
There are no words to describe the depth of the tragedy.  This email is my story as a person who was closely affected by the tragedy.  I can only be happy that I'm able to write this and that I have a handfull of people that were fortunate enough not to be there that day.
 
This email is a bit graphic, so please don't read it if it will upset you in any way.  My hope is that you might send this to a friend who might learn more about the people affected.  Most importantly, I want people to know that we must be strong and live our lives the same way we did on the 10th.  A few hundred years ago and even last week, our forefathers willingly laid down there lives so that you and I may live in a country of freedom.  Today, their sacrifice should inspire us to make this country even greater, to enforce our just equality and peace throughout the world, and to let everyone know that despite this dispicable act of careless thought of life, I truly beleive that someday, though not soon, we will get along.  However, flowers like us do not survive where there are weeds.
 
---
 
I was woken up by the sound of an explosion and the call of my sister fearful for my life.  I imediately ran to my roof to see why I was hearing screaming and explosions
 
Recently, I was laid off from Cantor Fitzgerald.  I worked on the 103rd floor of 1 World Trade Center-- the first one to get hit but the last one to fall.  My closest friend in the office, my bosses, the DBA's, even Margeret, the friendly, Irish, and God-loving secratary who never let us walk in the office without the gleam of her smile were lost.  The tragedy spared few that I know from my the company's family.
 
As I stood on my roof, probably just over a mile away from the world trade center, I never imagined they would fall.  I knew there was great loss of life, but I thought it would be limited to the floors that received the impact.  As we all know, my eyes lied to me.  The scale of the tragedy was quickly rose exponentially with each minute.
 
Having been in the office every workday of my life for a year, I can imagine more than any human being with a heart should be able to, the exact details of what they went through.  From one conference room in one tower, you could make eye contact with the other people in the other tower.  We would wave and smile.  I often thought how ironic it that despite the high altitude (helicopters flew below us), there were still people to wave to.  We were on top of the world, at the focal point of the greatest country in the world, working inside our most powerful structure, inch-by-inch, minute-by minute, making this country a little bit greater every day.
 
But I watched in horror as the family I worked with disappeared into a cloud of dust.  After the first tower collapsed, I ran downstairs to try to call the people I knew.  When the tower I worked in began to melt a minute or two before it collapsed.  A small line of red, molten metal dripped from the floor that was impacted.  Having seen the same warning sign only a few minutes earlier (I thought it was hours), I knew what was about to happen.  I ran downstairs to my apartment one floor below.  I wanted to call the people inside and let them know that the 4 helicopters circliing the towers might be able to help.  Perhaps the roof would offer an exit?  Or maybe they should call their loved ones?  In the end, I decided that they already knew, having watched the other tower go down, that their time was limited.  They needed the available phone lines to call their loved ones.  Moreover, any conversation I would have attempted would have been incoherent.
 
I'll just name a few...  I've changed names in case this email reaches one of the family members...
 
Maggy- everyone's favorite person.  People came in the office,  we were white, black, Arabian, Jewish, Gay, Lesbian... you name it.  No one walked by her without feeling welcome.  It was as if she never had a bad day in her life.  Perhaps, the 11th was her first but it was most definately her last.
 
Dan--- my boss.  When he laid me off, he was practically in tears.  He was a father of a 2 year old daughter.  The picture of his family faced him and he would sometime look down as we met every day at 11:00 A.M.
 
Joe-- Jim had a full life in a way.  He spent the first half of his life enjoying parties and NYC night life.  His daughter is only 1 year old.  He always spoke about how his life had just begun... a whole new chapter.  The party meant nothing and his wife and daughter meant everything to him.  He had a picture of his wife hugging his daughter on his screen saver that served as a proud badge of his knew family life.  When other men would say, "I can't go to happy hour... the old lady won't let me", he would often grunt and say, "I can't wait to get home.   Have fun."
 
Lachaim-- Recently moved from Israel because he wanted to live a safe life.
 
These are only a few... I could easily elaborate or list many more.
 
---
 
I stand today more American than ever.  Over the past week, I breathed the air filled with the ashes of people I knew and I inhaled deeply because they're deaths will not go forgotten.  It is our obligation as American's to be strong, to not be fearful, to walk with our heads up but most of all it is our duty to serve our country now more than ever.  The lines were drawn on September 11th and there will not be a humane person who does not stand with us.
 
Many people want to help.  I offer a simple way.  Remeber these people I mention.  Remember the fireman and police officials that laid down there lives.  Remember the countless other people that we let perish.  Remember them as if they were your own.  Your will is going to be tested.  Much like the minute men in our revolutionary war, you will be called upon to help in some way.  Do not hide and do not fear for our cause is noble and just.  History has proven that though as individuals we may not survive, our ideal we will not only prevail, but rather, America will succeed in our endeavour to someday root the world of evil.
 
If you know someone who wants to move away, who is afraid to go to the park, let them know that I walk down dimly lit paths these days but I walk surrounded by the greatest people in the world.

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