Reflections: Out of the Clear Blue Sky

Since I moved to New York, I have gained a new understanding of the September 11th attacks, if simply because of proximity. To stand over the piers in Brooklyn Heights, it is impossible not to imagine what it would have been like to look out with that clear view of Downtown that morning. Walking the streets of the Financial District, the videos we've all seen take on a haunting new meaning.

Last week I went to a screening of a new documentary playing exclusively here in NYC. Out of the Clear Blue Sky tells the overshadowed story of Cantor Fitzgerald, the company that lost more lives than any other on 9/11, and its CEO Howard Lutnick, who was plagued with the emotional and practical responsibility of caring for the lost employees' families. 658 Cantor Fitzgerald employees went to work in the World Trade Center that morning. 0 came home.

The film takes us back to the videos and newscasts of that day, reminding us of the shock and fear we all felt; but what was new to me was the incredible personal story of Lutnick himself. In the wake of the abrasive loss of 658 of his colleagues and dear friends, Lutnick was very publicly accused of not doing enough to support the families of the victims. But the true story involves him pulling together a company from near extinction to do just that.

As I have regained an awareness for 9/11, I have begun to notice the scars very visible all around the New York community. I promise that I will live more compassionately because of this.

If you have the chance to see this film, please do so.