From my desk, I could see the office park pond through the wall of windows. Its tranquility belied the tumultuous day ahead—not just for me, but for our nation. The workday had barely begun when tragic news spread through the office. I pulled up a news site on my computer to watch the surreal footage for myself. As an airplane pierced a New York City skyscraper, I covered my mouth in horror, then continued to watch in disbelief as another plane hit the second of the Twin Towers. They both collapsed in flames, spewing a pulverized poison into the air. My heart went weak in the crush of an invisible hand as I realized, this was no accident.