Where Were You?
Reflecting on 9/11 has made me feel like I have lived a century. At my elementary school we had a patriotic assembly dressed in our red, white and blue. It was dedicated to the victims of 9/11. As we sang "God Bless America" I realized that almost all of the children in the cafeteria were not even born on that horrific day. It is not even real to most of them.
There are so many of those "I remember exactly what I was doing at that moment" times during my life.
The explosion of the Challenger, particularly touching with a teacher aboard, was caught on TV with all schoolchildren in the nation watching. The first steps on the moon. The assassination of John Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King. The loss of John Lennon and Elvis Presley.
I remember the first time hearing about JFK, Jr.'s plane going down as I shopped for a dress at the local mall. And of course, Princess Di, her fairy tale wedding and the tragic end of her life.
The yellow ribbons tied on all the trees when hostages came home. The loss of Adam Walsh, which erased our innocence regarding parenting and safety.
And yes, the trial of O.J. Simpson, which I wish was not one of the things I remember, but who could forget the stunned look on everyone's face? Mine included.
Who would believe we would live through so many world events? Thank God for the lighter memories, such as the Halley's Comet fiasco, where people planned comet parties and we all stayed up late to see...well, nothing.The long-awaited marriage of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicki on TV.
And the long anticipated live on TV Geraldo Rivera opening Al Capone's vault and finding...well, squat.
What are your life milestones that you recall?
2 comments:
losses of JFK, RFK and MLK were cynicizing already in jr hi. those stand out. fast forward to princess DI's death and 9/11 - yes, standing stock still all day staring at live and replayed coverage. for me having studied with Paula Wellstone in college, and followed Sheila Wellstone's work for funding for battered women in the US Senate - that morning, the morning of the crash up north in MN, was probably one most chilling series of increasingly clarified media messages until Tim Russert came on air to confirm Paul's party were all gone. Young Will, his aide had met with us one2one in washingtonDC, complimenting my adopted son the while - on such determination and steady forward progress with FASD [fetal alcohol spectrum disorder]. i mourn the 7 who died there, but could only take small comfort that Will so young, in his early 20s, died doing what he loved.......... thnx4chance2remember. linsod
I hadn't thought of Tiny Tim and Miss Vicky since God was in short pants.
He was sooo bizarre. These days I like that a lot more than I did then.
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