Today marks the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. I've been watching the tributes on the History Channel this morning and remembering that day all over again.
It's a day that changed my life. I was 32 years old, and a single mother of a 3-year-old boy. I was making decent wages as a paralegal, but was barely scraping by. My mother had convinced me to get my real estate license the year before to try to make a little extra money in the evenings and on weekends. I'd made a little, but it had all gone to pay off medical bills and credit cards. I still didn't have any savings.
I was driving to the law office that morning. I worked for Robert M.N. Palmer, Esq. Rob is one of the country's leading attorneys in product liability litigation. We were working on several faulty seatbelt cases against Toyota. My mother called and said, "There was an explosion at the World Trade Center. They think a plane hit the building." Wow. That's terrible! But the gravity of the situation didn't hit me.
As I walked into the office, everyone was in a frenzy. They were setting a TV up on the desk in the reception area and everyone was gathering around. My boss, Rob, was on a flight to Washington DC to depose a CEO of Toyota at that very moment. We stared at the TV in shock, constantly trying to get through the airlines to check on Rob's flight. Rob's flight was "unaccounted for." All day. After the plane hit the Pentagon, we began fearing the worst.
We didn't really understand what was happening. Most importantly, we weren't sure when it would end. Was America really being attacked? Everyone was silent as we watched the TV. Hours of silence. Hours of watching people's lives end right before our eyes. The devastation was overwhelming.
By 2:00 p.m., Rob was nowhere to be found. Nobody knew where his plane was. I watched the others in the office and I heard them begin to question, "Do we even have a job?" "What are we going to do now?"
I'd been in the legal field for 12 years and was experiencing burnout. I realized I'd been working as a paralegal for the security, the benefits, but I couldn't wait to leave there every day and go to the real estate office. That was my real passion.
People's lives were changing that day. Was I happy with my own life? If my life ended that day, would I be happy with what I'd accomplished? Had I realized my dreams? The answer was.....No.
Out of all of the shock, a real clarity hit me. I picked up my purse, shut down my computer, and headed for the door. I heard, "Where are you going?" I answered,"I'm out of here. I'm going to sell real estate. Please let me know if you hear from Rob."
I drove straight to the real estate office, and told my Mom what I'd done. She said, "Oh, no you don't. You have a baby to take care of. You're going to turn around and go get your job back." No. I wasn't. The decision had been made. Life was too short. If I was ever going to take the risk and make the leap, it was going to be THAT day. I had $175 in the bank. I had no idea how I was going to make my house payment the next month, but I didn't care.
At 8:00 that night, Rob called me, "Lina, I'm alive! The military escorted our plane down, and they had us basically quarantined all day. This was the first chance I had to call out. I heard what happened. Please come back to work." I was so relieved to hear he was okay, but I knew my heart wasn't in that law office any more. I told him, "Rob, it was such a hard decision for me to make, but now that I've made it, I'm resigned to it. I really don't want to turn back now. I'm sorry."
Rob understood. He was quiet for a moment, but finally said, "Okay, meet me and my wife at our house tomorrow morning at 10:00. I'll let you list our home, and take my wife to find a new one." Really? WOW! I had no idea they were even considering that!
I listed Rob's home, and had it under contract within a week, as well as their new home. AND...I got both sides on Rob's. I had money for my next THREE house payments. I was motivated, inspired....and I began selling real estate like there was no tomorrow!
Looking back, I read the stories of how the real estate market crashed after 9/11. I was completely ignorant to the fact that the market was in a downturn. I didn't know that the odds were so stacked against me. I'm glad I was clueless. It may have changed my outlook and my optimism.
My heart aches for those who lost their own lives, or their loved ones that day. There is no reason great enough to justify it. There are no words powerful enough to provide comfort. There is only sadness.
Life today doesn't even resemble my life on that day 10 years ago.
Those men showed courage and bravery when they walked into those towers. They had no idea how that courage would inspire me to change my own life.
I owe them....and I'll NEVER forget.
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