I remember where I was 10 years ago...
Palisades is an executive conference facility, and I walked by an executive conference room and they had turned the tv's to
CNN and we all sat stunned after the first plane hit one of the towers. People thought it was an accident, and then we saw
as the second plane hit.
We were so close and so far away. We could see smoke across the Hudson, but were safe on the west side.
My instincts were to check on my team. All was well, and I told them all to go home immediately and be with their family.
This was no longer a day to work. I remember one employee continued to work, while his wife was looking for her brother-
in-law and told him to stop immediately.
I spent the next few hours checking on friends in the city, and one was missing for a while and we were worried cause she
tended to jog down the west side. Turned out she was down there stunned but ok.
Next we learned of the Pentagon, and Flight '93 and the world was in shock with us. I had been in the towers. I had
stayed at the Marriott nearby. I had walked down there on one of my first solo trips as a New Yorker to see Wall Street.
and yet, the area would not be the same.
My next feelings as time progressed, was of pride. New Yorkers showed that their compassion runs deeper than their
ambition, drive, or desires. They stood together and all did what they could to help. Even if it was applauding rescue
workers, or providing water. New York showed the world that what was real and with such a diversity of population that no
terrorist could harm the spirit, love of NY.
I remember being at services for Rosh Hashannah and there were was still quite a lot of uncertainty about who was missing,
rescues, and what to make of this. Rabbi Kleinbaum was quite solemn but compassionate as there were many at services hoping
for a miracle for their families and friends.
Ten days later at the Javitz Center, and we were in the basement. The rescue command center was upstairs where services
for Yom Kippur normally are. I remember Rabbi Kleinbaum comparing the towers to the broken ten commandments tablets that
we should carry with us as the Jews did in the dessert after the exodus from Israel.
A lot of the newspaper articles and commentary today is have we changed. I don't know about others, but I know I changed
that day. Maybe that was the real catalyst that caused me to look for a different career path. Maybe walking the city
after 9/11 and seeing all the photos and memories of families passed I recognized my own morality.
I continue to be proud to be an American, proud to have lived in the New York area, and proud of the support IBM provided.
I remember the email for Lou Gerstner who said IBM would do what was needed to help because it was the right thing to do
and most of the IBM support was quiet and not leveraged for publicity.
And, in Great American tradition and progress, I board a flight for work.
CNN and we all sat stunned after the first plane hit one of the towers. People thought it was an accident, and then we saw
as the second plane hit.
We were so close and so far away. We could see smoke across the Hudson, but were safe on the west side.
My instincts were to check on my team. All was well, and I told them all to go home immediately and be with their family.
This was no longer a day to work. I remember one employee continued to work, while his wife was looking for her brother-
in-law and told him to stop immediately.
I spent the next few hours checking on friends in the city, and one was missing for a while and we were worried cause she
tended to jog down the west side. Turned out she was down there stunned but ok.
Next we learned of the Pentagon, and Flight '93 and the world was in shock with us. I had been in the towers. I had
stayed at the Marriott nearby. I had walked down there on one of my first solo trips as a New Yorker to see Wall Street.
and yet, the area would not be the same.
My next feelings as time progressed, was of pride. New Yorkers showed that their compassion runs deeper than their
ambition, drive, or desires. They stood together and all did what they could to help. Even if it was applauding rescue
workers, or providing water. New York showed the world that what was real and with such a diversity of population that no
terrorist could harm the spirit, love of NY.
I remember being at services for Rosh Hashannah and there were was still quite a lot of uncertainty about who was missing,
rescues, and what to make of this. Rabbi Kleinbaum was quite solemn but compassionate as there were many at services hoping
for a miracle for their families and friends.
Ten days later at the Javitz Center, and we were in the basement. The rescue command center was upstairs where services
for Yom Kippur normally are. I remember Rabbi Kleinbaum comparing the towers to the broken ten commandments tablets that
we should carry with us as the Jews did in the dessert after the exodus from Israel.
A lot of the newspaper articles and commentary today is have we changed. I don't know about others, but I know I changed
that day. Maybe that was the real catalyst that caused me to look for a different career path. Maybe walking the city
after 9/11 and seeing all the photos and memories of families passed I recognized my own morality.
I continue to be proud to be an American, proud to have lived in the New York area, and proud of the support IBM provided.
I remember the email for Lou Gerstner who said IBM would do what was needed to help because it was the right thing to do
and most of the IBM support was quiet and not leveraged for publicity.
And, in Great American tradition and progress, I board a flight for work.
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