by Lionel Bascom — January 21st, 2007 — 1 comment
The Daily News, one off New York’s finest tabloids, gave the city a Christmas present last year. On Christmas Day, the News published a study on how survivors fled the twin towers on 9/11.
The conclusion: In case of emergency: leave your purse, don’t ask your boss for permission and don’t waste one second getting out.
“Researchers who interviewed nearly 2,000 people who were in the World Trade Center say many people misspent precious minutes after the first plane hit. “They’re gathering things - purses and cell phones and car keys and house keys and ID badges,” Columbia University researcher Robyn Gershon said. “They’re seeking out friends.” As many as 3% stopped to change their shoes, Gershon said. “Some survivors who took part in the World Trade Center Evacuation Study “literally got out as the buildings were collapsing and climbed out of the rubble,” Gershon said.
“So we know from speaking to those people that people behind them didn’t make it out,” she added. “Those four or five minutes [of delay] were meaningful minutes.”
The research also uncovered a woeful ignorance about the layout of the towers, even among those who worked in them 10 years or more.”
Team players won’t survive. Whole teams were entombed on 911. Whole teams did not get out.
10:32 PM in Uncategorized, World Trade Center, Ground Zero, The Attack, Terrorist Threat, Freedom Tower News, America at War
As the New England Patriots discovered a few minutes ago, every second counts, especially in the final moments of any game, including the game of life. In addition, strategies applied during those final minutes need to have been determined long before those moments even begin.
Therefore, planning is an essential element to successful survival. One needs to be aware of details, such as escape routes, necessary items to take, and who to contact when one reaches safety. This may seem silly to some, but this type of emergency planning should be in place no matter what situation one finds oneself.
That doesn’t mean we should live in a constant state of fear. On the contrary, it means we should relax, enjoy life, and be more aware of our surroundings. Most importantly, we should be conscious of our individual abilities to preserve our energies and focus on what is important to us each day.
Each life is precious, dependent on others for human interaction, yet independent in the search for personal fulfillment. Awareness is essential for the discovery and preservation of the beauty within each of our lives.
Those who are in touch with their individual strengths will continue to have the fortitude to bring others to the sanctuary of a valued life.
Jeanne · January 22nd, 2007 at 12:12 am