Changed by 9/11: Anthony P. Bottan, Sr.

I work for a large, international bank that has offices in New York and Jersey City. In 2001, I routinely visited our Jersey City office once a week, and I would travel down to the World Trade Center to catch the Path train. I'd usually got there at 18 minutes to 9 in the morning.

It was Tuesday morning on Sept. 11, and I was scheduled to be in the Jersey office that day. I don’t know why, or what it was that changed my mind that morning, but I decided to go to the NY office instead. I can go later in the week, I thought.

I first thought it was a small plane that hit the Trade Center, but soon realized what was really happening. Building management told us to evacuate the building and there we were, wondering, "Where do we go from here?"  

Well, I made it home that day — that's another story in itself — but the thing I remember most from that day was that my best friend Frank had called me the previous Thursday. He left me a voicemail, saying he wanted to meet up for lunch to catch up. Always busy, I said to myself, "I'll call him when I get a chance."

That was the last time I heard Frank's voice. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald in the North Tower, and was killed that Tuesday. 

From that day on, I don’t put things off anymore. Life is too short, and full of unexpected surprises.