My day started like any other. As I drove to work I marveled at the beauty of the Caribbean as the sunrise began to peak over the island of St. John. Once at my office in the hotel, I prepared for two new trainees that were scheduled to begin work at the concierge desk that morning. At approximately 9:15am two simultaneous events occurred: one trainee arrived in the office and a phone call from a friend. Both brought bad news. Knowing my friend as a reliable source with a good head on her shoulders, I usually do not question her information. On this day, considering the information, I had a hard time accepting what she was saying as true. The trainee also relayed terrible information that he heard on the radio while driving into work. He asked, “Do you know anything about planes crashing into the World Trade Center?” My response was simply, “No.”
My logical mind took over. It seemed there was nothing to do but to do that which was planned. Throughout the hotel as I introduced the new person to different staff members we gleaned a little bit more information. From the hotel operator, “Two planes crashed the World Trade Center buildings.” One hotel manager states, “There is one plane down in Washington, I think it hit the Pentagon.”
Certainly this cannot be real. Things like this do not happen to the United States. While it certainly is in the realm of possibility I still cling to the hope that all this information is a terrible hoax. As we walk into the Health and Fitness Center all hopes of a hoax are shattered. Treadmill users, weightlifters and hotel employees are clustered together watching the tragedy unfold before their eyes on the TV monitors. In that moment as with everyone everywhere worldwide, I could not believe my eyes. Not only had two planes hit the Twin Towers in New York City the two towers collapsed to the ground! A commercial jet rammed into the Pentagon! All air travel grounded with another plane missing and feared to have crashed in rural Pennsylvania!
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