“I was so afraid. And I wanted to go home.” After evacuating the 105th floor, of the south tower of the World Trade Center, Joseph Dittmar, Sr., saw the harrowing scene from the 90th floor: flames larger and redder than he had ever seen licking up the side of the north tower. He was between floors 72 and 73 when the second plane slammed into the building. “Never in our wildest imaginations did we think that a plane had hit our building. We had to concentrate on one thing: getting down.” People abandoned laptops, bags, food and women’s shoes. At floor 35, those evacuating encountered firefighters heading up to fight a fire they could not beat, to save lives they could not save. On the ground level, it looked like a war zone. But there was a total outpouring of love for the wounded as emergency responders tended to them. They were about eight blocks away as the twisting steel and crumbling concrete of the south tower came to the ground. The greatest skyline in the world was relegated to a gray and black cloud. Eventually, he got on a train and grabbed a rental car to get home. Because there are no guarantees, live life to its fullest, he says. “It is my duty to tell the story.” Always remember and never forget. Lessons: • There are no guarantees. • Don’t take anything for granted and don’t put off expressing your love. • We are not invulnerable so we need to pre-act not just react. • Don’t sweat the small stuff. • Plan your work and work your plan. • Love your mothers. . Thanks to Mr. Dittmar and to all who are attending the #UtahPrepare Conference and Expo. UtahPrepare.org (at South Towne Expo Center)