I heard remarkable stories of why people were, or were not, at their desks … everything from mental urges to get a doughnut, missed trains, forgotten pagers, and wrong coffee orders, to last-minute unscheduled meetings high in the tower, early subway exits to enjoy the beautiful day, and even secret trysts. I heard stories of people’s courage, compassion, and selfless assistance to others though they put their own lives in harm’s way.
