Small choices, saved lives: Near misses of 9/11

Greer Epstein never took breaks.

An executive director at Morgan Stanley, she rarely left her office on the 67th floor because she never had time.

But 20 minutes before 9 a.m., one of her buddies called. "How about getting a cigarette?" He wanted to talk about an upcoming work meeting. It was a calm day with clear blue skies -- the most beautiful day she had ever seen from her view from the World Trade Center. Epstein figured why not.

While riding down the elevator, she felt a jolt, but ignored it since the elevators had always acted strangely.

When she stepped outside to light up her Benson & Hedges, she saw people frozen in place, their eyes fixed to the sky. Paper rained down like chaotic confetti. As she stared at the fire and smoke billowing from a hole in the North Tower, she wondered: "How do they fix something like that?"

That's when a plane flew through her office in the South Tower.

A cigarette break saved her life.

Every day, people make thousands of small, forgettable decisions -- what to eat, when to take a break, which route to take to work.hair weave

But for a handful of people on September 11, 2001, those seemingly inconsequential decisions -- stepping out for a smoke, dawdling on the commute to enjoy a beautiful morning, taking a different subway route, even waking up late because of the previous night's football game on TV -- made the difference between living and dying.