9/11 I remember I will never forget

I woke up this morning to a beautiful September day. Not a cloud in the sky. The moon is visible. It is a little more brisk than the summer like day 5 years ago that changed all of our lives. I remember that day like it was yesterday.

The night before 9/11/2001 an old friend and former colleague called to say he was going to be in New York tomorrow to promote his new book a biography of Howard Hughes. He wanted to meet for lunch but told me to watch The Today Show that he was being interviewed by Matt Lauer at 8:36 A.M.

I never watch TV in the morning but ever since that day, I turn it on first thing. I had a 9:30 meeting that morning downtown at another Broker's office it was a seminar about commercial real estate. Needless to say what happened. I turned on the Today Show at 8:30. A few minutes later my friend Richard Hack was introduced as Howard Hughes biographer. They started talking when all of a sudden Matt says a plane just crashed into the World Trade Center. I was shocked at that point they thought it was a small Cessna - an accident, the news got worse and worse from that point.

My phone rang and it was my broker sounding very upset. "Do you have the news on our meeting is cancelled, the subways are closed downtown is being evacuated. There was an explosion". I went up to the roof of my building which is 23 stories on the Upper West Side pretty far from lower Manhattan. Several of my neighbors were up there. The sight from all the way up here was horrific. In the distance we saw a ball of flames and cloud of smoke. When I got back downstairs to my apartment I turned on NY1 the local cable 24 hr. news channel. Mayor Giuliani covered in grey ashes was urging everyone in lower Manhattan to get out of there to go north. He said if you are not in lower Manhattan go about your business go to work, go to school.

I heard from my friend after he left NBC at 30 Rock. I said I would meet him. That he should start walking uptown and I will walk downtown. When I got outside Upper Broadway a quiet residential neighborhood was bustling with business men and woman heading north it was very surreal. An exodus. At the same time the restaurants and outdoor cafes were packed that day but everyone was in shock almost like a bad dream.

I walked to my office, we had an American flag in the window. My broker was very upset. She said. We're in a war" We were attacked"  The next day I remember seeing a couple of Wall Street Journals in front of my next door neighbor's door. I knew he worked at Morgan Stanley and left early in the morning. I was worried. I told the doorman and he said - he's on a business trip everyone in the building has been accounted for - we didn't lose anyone. Thank God.

From that day every time I walk past a fire house I get teary eyed. I remember the heroes of the NYFD who ran into the buildings.

So many things I took for granted before that day. Every time I now go through the Lincoln Tunnel or over the George Washington bridge or ride the subways I not only think about terrorists but how I appreciate and admire the hard work and sweat, the history and planning and the man power involved in building these man made wonders that make our city's infrastructure. The years it took to build these landmarks including the World Trade Center. All the things that the terrorist hate us for.

I will always remember those innocent lives lost and all the heroes who sacrificed their lives to save others and our brave men and woman in the military.