A Commuter's Story- 9-11

THE MORNING OF . . .

I never use an alarm clock. Tara, my cat, faithfully wakes me every morning at 4:15. She performs this ritual dance with her paws kneading into my chest. It would be wonderful if I could teach her not to do this on the weekends or on my days off. She very rarely leaves my sight when I am home. I rescued her several years ago during a snowstorm while she was hiding in the shed looking for shelter from the blizzard-like elements. She was cold, hungry and all alone. Her flea-collar led me to believe that she was abandoned. I will never understand how some people have no respect for animals. Tara quickly adapted to my commuting schedule.

She wants to be fed right away while I sip my morning coffee and then she rushes out into the yard to do her business and there she spends the rest of her day until my return in the evening. She greets me every night at 6:15, circles the car once, drops in front of me so I can rub her belly, and then we race to the front door. Most nights I have to step over the "gifts" that she has collected for me during the day. She proved to me that I wasn’t the only one who brings home the bacon in this house. Her catch is a variety of yard animals such as mice, birds, chipmunks, squirrels, moles and even rabbits. She single handedly saved my lawn from mass destruction due to those pesky moles and their burrowed tunnels, which you could see across the field as ripples of the lawn were raised like the crest of floating waves of water onto a beach. My neighbor gratefully rewards Tara with treats because she was able to reclaim her vegetable garden from the scavengers due to Tara’s hunting skills.

I continued to get ready for my 2-hour commute. I quickly jumped into a shower, shaved, dressed and prepared my breakfast and lunch which normally consists of carrots and celery. Don’t ever quit smoking after 29 years and not expect to gain an uncomfortable amount of weight. That nicotine really screws up your metabolism! I gave up smoking when my job relocated to the World Trade Center 2 1/2 years ago, and I am still struggling with the same extra 15 pounds.

It was still dark and the air was mild when I left the house at 5:38. The weatherman promised it was going to be a bright, warm and beautiful day in the low 80s. I could do the 20-minute car ride to the Purdy’s train station from Carmel with my eyes closed. The 5:58 train was on time and I was looking forward to my usual nap on the 74-minute ride to Manhattan into Grand Central Station.

My nap was disrupted because I was preoccupied with thoughts of a scheduled 10:00 AM meeting with management to discuss service issues that some of our clients were experiencing. I have worked in customer service for a major health care corporation for 27 years. Most days can be rewarding, but lately it seemed like it could be a thankless job. Maybe I was a little depressed since the summer season officially ended as the lifeguards no longer patrolled the beach.

My thoughts would drift back to the wonderful weekend I spent with my family at my sister’s summer bungalow in Rockaway, Queens, and the last big barbecue of the season on September 2nd at my home where we entertained over 50 family members and close friends. Boy, what a great time!