Windows On The World was a favorite resturant of mine for taking lower Manhattan business clients for lunch. In fact I had lunch there with my top premier client (Marine Midland Bank) Operations Vice President the previous Friday.
I was scheduled to be in my office in Lynbrook, L.I. at 9AM. Following my customary morning routine; get up at 6:30 AM, get the coffee going, put the news on the kitchen TV and relax before the day started. I was planning on leaving the house a couple of minutes before 9 as the office was less a mile away.
And at 8:47 AM as I am finishing getting dressed, the news flashing that a plane has hit the World Trade Center. How was this possible? It was a sunny day with no clouds? And then 15 minutes later was the horriffic footage of the second plane smashing into the WTC.
I called my business partner who immediatly asked; "are you watching this?" I told him yes and then told him I would stay in touch throughout the day and that I wasn't coming in. " Please call Lori and June at the office and send them home."
I ran upstairs to my bedroom which was three stories higher then street level and I could see the smoke in the distance.
I spent the rest of the day at home watching the horrible events unfold and realizing that this was going to affect our business as I had 7 clients in the WTC including premier client Swiss Bank whose VP of Operations was a close business friend. I called Paul's house to offer my condolences to his wife who I knew from many dinners out. She answered the phone, and as I am in tears trying to get the words out she says; "Lee, do you want to speak with Paul?" "WHAT?" "He wasn't feeling well this morning and decided to call in sick."
I can't explain the anguish and heartache of attending 6 funerals knowing there was nothing in the coffins.
Two months latter I made the decision to get out of NY.
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