Until last week, I had a valuable long-term contract at one of the largest financial services firms in America. I worked at 75 Wall Street. I passed through the World Trade Center every business day for the last 3 years, often between 8:30 and 8:45, because the PATH station is (was) located there.

When my manager/client told me I had to leave, I had mixed emotions. I knew this was coming. The company probably let 1,000 consultants go during August. Like me, many of them had worked at the company for longer than the employees for whom we worked. But, now I know this was a blessing.

However, my family is not happy. My aunt's brother, no direct relation to me, is missing. He was supposed to be meeting his financial advisor at 8:30am at Windows on the World, the restaurant that used to be on the 106th floor of one of the WTC towers. My uncle told me yesterday that his brother-in-law's car is still parked at the New Jersey Transit station in Upper Montclair, NJ.

So please, keep praying for miracles.

Dave Aiello
Chatham Township Data Corporation