Part 1 – September 11, 2001 – The story of my day and a tribute Part 2 – (How September 11th launched my real estate career)
Where were you on September 11th?
Were you at home? Were you at work? Were you near your loved ones? Did you have people close to you who died on that dreadful day?
Tomorrow, as you know, we commemorate as a nation, the six year anniversary of September 11, 2001.
Where were you on 9/11?
I want to share with Active Rain, my personal story of September 11, 2001.
At the time, I was not yet in real estate, and little did I know that I would be just 5 months later. On September 11, 2001, I was working as an attorney at a small law firm in Washington, D.C. (see The Difference Between Realtors & Lawyers). Additionally, I was highly anticipating my upcoming wedding on September 30, 2001, which my wife and I had been steadily planning since we got engaged 10 months earlier.
That Tuesday morning, I woke up as usual, but instead of taking the Metrobus from my home in Arlington, Virginia to the Pentagon transfer to the metrorail, I opted to drive into town. I was supposed to drive out to Warrenton, Virginia that evening to testify at a town meeting regarding zoning ordinances and the building of an unwanted large parking lot in a friend’s neighborhood.
Well, I get into work early that morning around 8:15 or so and settle in to start working on a legal brief. After the first plane hit the World Trade Center, I got a call from my soon-to-be wife, Deborah. At that point, we did not have the full story – was it a big plane, a small plane, what was the damage?
Of all places, Deborah had actually heard the news on the Howard Stern radio show upon waking up to the clockradio. Who knows what to believe when the words are coming out of the mouth of the man who invented the term “Shock Jocks!?” Deborah said “Sorry to ruin your day, just wanted to let you know.”
Shortly thereafter, she called back and informed me of the second plane. At this point, our small office was in a frenzy. Our office was located at 1500 K Street, NW, Washington, D.C. For those of you unfamiliar with the D.C. area – we were 2 blocks from The White House.
Next thing you know, my Dad was calling from Florida and all he said was “Brian, They’ve Hit the Pentagon!!!” He added “You can’t get on the internet, do you have a t.v.?” Deborah called and confirmed the Pentagon hit. It was true we couldn’t get an internet connection – cell phones were sporadic.
The attorneys in the office were meeting to decide what to do. I didn’t join them – I knew I didn’t need to decide by committee. I was leaving – getting home – and FAST! I was getting married in less than 3 weeks and our country was now at WAR!
I climbed the stairs to the roof of our office building in downtown D.C. and saw a huge smokebomb in the sky above the Pentagon. I was not waiting around to see if The White House was the next target. My Mom called while I was on the roof to shout “Get out of D.C. now.”
Now to formulate a plan for leaving the city. I stepped out onto the street and saw the biggest traffic jam of cars I had ever seen trying to vacate downtown D.C. and knew that I had no chance of getting home in a hurry by driving. I made a split second decision to leave my car in the underground garage. I thought about staying in a hotel in the District but thought D.C. might be the next target and hotels might jack up their rates for the night. So, it was time to start walking!
As you recall, 9/11/01 was a blue sky day about 90 degrees on the East Coast (much like the weather this week here in D.C.). I was wearing full lawyer uniform – suit, tie, dress shoes (which by the way is not always necessary these days in real estate). I started walking and walk I did, along with what seemed like millions of cubicle denizens throughout the town.
I walked from 15th and K, down to Georgetown and crossed the Key Bridge into Rosslyn (an area of Arlington, Virginia) staring in horror with the masses at the smoke and fire coming from the Pentagon in the near distance. By this time, I was dripping sweat, and frantically trying to get a cell signal to get through to my loved ones. After crossing into Arlington and after dozens of attempts, I finally reached my mother:
“Hi Mom!”
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, Thank God, I’m alright”
“Where are you?”
“I’m in Arlington. I just walked across the bridge and saw the smoke from the Pentagon. I’m walking home.”
Like any good mother, she asked “Are you alone?”
After looking around, I responded, “No Mom, I’m with about 30,000 of my best friends”
I continued walking westerly through the neighborhoods of Arlington: Rosslyn, Courthouse, Clarendon, and Ballston as the marching crowds thinned and more emergency responder vehicles appeared.
At last, I rested a bit in a coffee shop in Virginia Square, now called Murky Coffee, where I caught a glimpse for the first time of what had happened. I shed tears when I saw the truth and the enormity of what had occurred. My eyes could not blink as I tearfully witnessed the Twin Towers collapsing on the small coffee shop television.
But I still had miles to go. I passed Ballston Mall and turned South onto Glebe Road to head home. In the air, I heard F-14s stream by patrolling the Northern Virginia sky. I had never seen anything like this in my life. Some passerby had no idea what was happening – I told him and he was in shock! Reaching a pay phone, I called Deborah, my fiancée, finally. I’m okay. I’ll be home soon.
Several out of town friends called me as my cell signal returned and we chatted about the morning’s events. I couldn’t wait to get home and see it for myself. I spoke with my sister, the best man for my wedding, my ushers.
At home in Shirlington, I took off my suit, collapsed on the couch and flicked on the t.v. set and could not believe my eyes as I watched the live coverage throughout the rest of 9/11.
Luckily, nobody I knew was injured or killed in the tragic terrorist attacks of September 11th.
I went to work the next day. Got married 3 weeks later. Left the law firm after returning from my honeymoon and started on the path towards a real estate career.
Part 2: How September 11th launched my real estate career.
Thanks for reading my long story… I've had tears in my eyes as I write. I hope it touches you in some way.
Please take some time to commemorate September 11th tomorrow:
- Take some moments of silence or time to pray.
-
Thank a fireman or police officer for facing the harsh duties of their jobs everyday. - Shake the hand of a Marine or other serviceman or woman and thank them for their service and acknowledge their sacrifices.
- Call your mother.
- Hug your child.
- Do something to make a difference.
Where were you 6 years ago on 9/11?
Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate
I'm sitting here crying, reliving the horror of that day. I have a client who was in the pentagon building when the plane hit it, fortunately he was in another wing of of building than the one that was hit. I was at home preparing to travel to CA to my mother-in-law's funeral (she died on 9-9-01). The apathy that has grown among the people here is making us a good target for another attack :(