Praying sanity though unity is stronger than panic from evil

The Alumni Association was deep into its preparations for the Grand Reunion on October 4th when the terrorists attacked. A number of people were concerned about going on with the week-long event. Gail Allouf was to be part of the Literary Presentation Night and she wrote this email to Alumni President, Yvonne Fitzner. Starting out with concerns about the Grand Reunion, her horrible day in Manhattan on 9/11 came spilling out. After working over 15 years in Mid Manhattan, Gail will never see the city in the same light.
____Gail Allouf (Class of 1969) wrote this on Friday 9/14/2001 at 9:45 PM.

Dear Yvonne,
I am hoping fear doesn't cripple us now. That's why we need to reassure those who have problems with going on, and have made a decision not to attend, that it is understandable. I lit my candles and prayed that sanity though unity is stronger than panic from evil.
____I work a block away from the Empire State building, which is now the tallest standing building. I feel a chill when I walk up the block from Penn Station and see the building standing tall in the sky right in front of me, but I have to work and life has to go on. On Tuesday, I was on the train to the city and saw the fireball come from the Towers as my train rode by across the river -- not knowing it was an act of terrorism. When they evacuated my building at 10:50am, I walked the streets with a co-worker when we couldn't go home.
____I felt like a refugee in my own country. An incident occurred that wasn't in the media -- information was being filtered through the military and police circuits and didn't reach the masses for fear of hysteria. When we reached 43rd Street and 6th Avenue masses of people came from behind us. They were hysterical, knocking down older people in their path. I thought it was just panic until they were diving for cover behind cars and in storefronts, screaming "BOMB!!" At that point I was so paralyzed with fear. We decided not to turn back and we kept going, trying to get away from midtown and the area of the U.N. building. Yesterday I found out that a car bomb was found on 45th Street -- we were walking towards it not knowing -- that's where the crowd was running from. The military jets flew overhead very low in the sky. For a split second I really felt that in seconds I could have been gone, separated from my family. I'll never take anything for granted ever again. Especially the feeling of how very precious life itself is.

Much love,
Gail
God bless us all!

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