Today marks 25 years since the loss of the space shuttle Challenger in 1986. I've seen quite a few friends post about it on Facebook today. Someone noted that this was the first "remember where you were" moment of their life, a comment that got me thinking.
First, it was indeed a "remember where you were" moment for me. I was home sick from school that day. I have no idea whether the live satellite feed into schools was something that had been set up at mine; I was at home watching Superman (recorded on VHS off of a television broadcast) and fighting not to throw up. My father called from work to give us the news, and I spent the next several hours watching coverage unfold. (Not that anyone would really come to understand what had happened any time soon.)
But on a deeper level, after recalling my "where were you?" story, I got to thinking about other "where were you?" moments in my life. And it seems to me that all such moments in my lifetime have been negative ones. Where were you on the day of the Challenger disaster? On September 11th, 2001? My parents have "where were you when Neil Armstrong first walked on the moon?" But I can't think of a positive "generational moment" in my lifetime -- not really any at all, never mind one that could come close to comparing with walking on the moon.
Have I overlooked something obvious? The fall of the Berlin Wall, maybe? Except that I can't remember where I was for that. Is an Eeyore-like side of my personality showing here?
4 comments:
I have one single one -
1. When the Lucasfilm green lettering came on the screen for Episode I. I had waited in the lineup for 2 weeks for this movie, camping out with my friends and trying to keep busy throughout the day in 100 degree heat. When those green letters came over the screen and the calm before the loud music of the scrolling intro gave me goosebumps and I teared up i was soo happy. In fact, remembering that moment still has the same effect.
I have one, well two of the same larger story.
1) OJ Simpson and the white bronco chase
2) OJ's verdict.
For both I was in school watching on the "Channel One" TV system. That's public education for you!
The fall of the Berlin wall was the one I immediately thought of. I was sitting down to dinner in the family kitchen when the news came on television.
And for all we know, maybe we're just on the verge of seeing something along similar lines in Tunisia and Egypt.
FKL
OJ, yeah I forgot about that one. Weird.
I did have the moon landing, I took notes, I still have them somewhere.
Of course, my first such moment was when JFK was shot. Shortly after that, I saw Jack Ruby get killed on live television.
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