Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Introduction to Reality

On this day in 1963, I was living in Tehran, Iran  (my father was plant manager for the B.F. Goodrich tire factory there), having breakfast with my family, when the phone rang. It was a British friend of my father's who passed on the news that President Kennedy had been assassinated "in Delaware."

We picked up more news from AFRTS on the way to school, and newspapers were posted on the compound wall by the gate. It was a profound realization for an 11-year-old, considering things I'd never thought about before.

And so we learn and we grow.  Some of us, anyway.

4 comments:

Mack said...

I was in the 3rd grade when I heard about it.

I still remember that day.

Anonymous said...

Six years old - I will never forget the day - first real memory

Fight islam Now

Bad Cyborg said...

I was in Jr. High (remember Jr High? not "Middle School" or "Intermediate") in the 7th grade. To this day I can close my eyes, assume the body position, hear the sounds and even SMELL THE SMELLS at the time I first heard about the assassination. I was at my locker getting books for the afternoon. It told the guy it was really bad to joke about something like that.

I have a confession to make. When the teacher of the class I had right after lunch announced the assassination, several of the members of the class - myself included - almost laughed. The old bat was such a bitch and had given us so much grief, we figured anything that made that old bat cry couldn't be all bad.

I have similar recollections of what I was doing when the Challenger exploded and when I saw the 2nd aircraft fly into the WTC on live TV on 9/11. I also remember what I was doing when I turned on the TV and learned of the Challenger breakup over Texas.

Those 3 moments are burned indelibly into my brain. I HOPE they are the last.

Anonymous said...

I was not alive for jfk, but I remember in detail the 911 attack. Isn't it interesting how both benefited the military industrial complex? I am not going to say anything beyond that, but isn't it amazing how the worst tragedies for the people always result in so much more power and money for our federal government and affiliated groups?