In a lifetime, one hopes that there are not a lot of moments that would start off with 'where were you when...' The space shuttle explosion, the Berlin wall coming down...and then there was 9/11. That day changed my life for many reasons.
There are always animated discussions when one discusses fate, things happening for a reason, no coincidences, etc. While I don't have the answers to that, I do know that the floors where Cantor Fitzgerald occupied were our firm's floors that were subleased after the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Our partners were not keen on coming back to those facilities after descending over 100 flights of stairs. Cantor Fitzgerald lost all of its employees that were in the office on that day (2/3 of its workforce). A week before 9/11, I had decided to change my travel itinerary and decided not to take the first flight out of Newark to San Francisco (United 93) to meet with a client's attorneys, but rather break up my trip by flying to Boise on Monday and then San Francisco on Tuesday. Our new offices were across the street, and my apartment was a block away from the closest hospital.
Everyone there has very vivid memories of the day and the aftermath. For me, living in a 5th floor walk-up apartment with no air conditioner and constantly keeping the windows open, I will always remember the smell of decay the summer after when the wind blew in a certain direction. So a week after the news about Osama, I am constantly asked about that day once people realize I'm from New York. Unfortunately, it doesn't give me closure. I am glad though that New Yorkers do not have to go through all the trials and tribulations of the American court system, and all those that would protest to argue that such individuals deserve a fair trial. There is no fairness or rationale for what occurred, and some of us are still left with trying to figure out why we were spared.
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