September 11, 2001
A lot has changed since September 11, 2001, both for our country and for me personally. I have and will continue to write about our country, so this is more personal.
In September of 2001 I was in Los Angeles working on immigration cases and my then wife was in Manhattan working in Rock Center.
That prior Saturaday there had been a riot off of Hollywood Blvd becuase the LAPD broke up an outdoor concert due to excessive drinking and fighting. It was truely wierd to see people burning buildings and turning cars over for no real reason.
That Sunday I felt my first earthquake in CA since 1983 or so. At first I thought, I didn't know this bed vibrated, then it dawned on me what it was.
The next morning I got a call from A. saying that she was ok. I had no clue, so she told me to turn on the tv and there it was - both towers on fire and reports of car bombs all over the place. I remember telling my wife that I was more concerned about car bobmbs than the few remaining planes - planes can be shot down and they would run out, but a car bomb could be anywhere, anytime. Needless to say that was a long day for all of us.
I was scheduled to leave LA that following Saturaday and had no idea if I would be able to. I booked the last Amtrak ticket leaving LA that Saturday and had also made planes to drive my rental one way to Memphis, but per the car company I would have to take 3 others with me. late Friday I was told that my NWA flight was on of the few expected to leave, but get to LAX 4 hours early. I got there 6 hours early and it was a mad house, but we left on time and I made it home. A. was already there by a very tortured route - NY, NJ, PA,(maybe OH as well) GA to TN.
Prior to 9/11 we both had been focused on our careers and a child was the furtherest thing from our minds. After 9/11 we both decided that our jobs were not worth it reguardless of the pay, that spending what time we do have with each other and out familes mattered more. On Oct. 6, we both quit our jobs and started over. I went to work as a legal aid attorney for a year and A. started in a real estate development company (where she is now a VP I believe), we bought a house and had C.
My marriage did not survive for what ever reason, but I do have a little girl who means the world to me. And I still believe my time is better spent with my girl and my family. I am good at what I do, but I do not want to be remembered as a damn good attorney, but rather as a loving father.
1 comment:
There is an attorney that I grab a drink with regularly. He doesn't make as much money as his colleagues (I still don't understand the difference between low-6 figures and high-6 figures, but whatever), but he has 4 kids at home that he spends every single weekend with. As well as a beautiful wife that he's been married to for nearly 20 years.
I think we get along so well because he is a good dad, not because he's great at his job.
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