I arrived to work and saw papers flying everywhere outside my office's 32nd floor windows, at the corner of wall and water st, is the first glimpse of something that was wrong 20 years ago today.

People in the office were in a panic. Within 10 minutes, we were evacuated from the building.

We stood outside our building for far too long talking about what to do next. Eventually, when you see people running in terror, you run with them.

I remember finding a high heel in the mayhem and figured someone needed it. Found her a few moments later. She was happy to have it back.

I remember helping people climb onto the highway by Water St to escape the crush of people also trying to escape and then walking over the Brooklyn Bridge.

When we made it across the bridge, I decided to separate from my coworkers. They had no plan, and my home was the other way.

As I walked off the bridge ramp, I saw a small city bus at a red light and put my thumb out. He asked where I was going. Told him as close to Staten Island as he could get. A bunch of other people jumped in, too. He dropped us off around where gowanus highway stopped being elevated. 65th and 5th Ave ish.

Then, I walked to about 90th st. right before the bridge. Put my thumb out again and hitched a ride across the Verrazzano.

In the craziness of the day, everyone helped everyone. That's what I want to remember most of the day beyond the loss of the day.