Thankful to be alive

When Missy Scarborough prepared for her trip to New York in September of 2001, she had no idea that trip would be forever engrained in her memory and would change her life forever. Now a financial advisor for the Midway Fire District, Scarborough shared her story with the Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce last Thursday.

As a self-proclaimed naïve, small town gal, Scarborough packed a new outfit for every day she'd be gone. She was traveling to New York to spend three weeks in training after having just passed her securities exams for investment firm Morgan Stanley. She considered it to be the biggest trip of her life. Turns out, she was right.

Scarborough was high up on the 61st floor of the World Trade Center Tower 2 when, during a coffee break, everyone in the room froze when they heard what she described as a huge bang. She and several classmates ran to the window and saw a sky full of burning paper.

"All I could see was paper on fire," said Scarborough, "but I couldn't understand where it was coming from." After being told to go back to their seats, they did; but Scarborough said she couldn't shake the feeling that something was really wrong.

For more on this story, see the Sept. 15 isue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.