Ken stole it from WunderKraut, and I've taken it from Ken.
Where Were You, What Were You Doing And How Did You Feel When…:
1. You found out about 9/11
My life was already changing drastically: it was the day before I was moving out of the house, separating from my husband for good. Boxes of my things were all over, ready for when I could get the truck. 7:30 that morning (West Coast time), I got Conor up for toons and breakfast so I could get ready for work. He was just barely three and holding my hand when I turned the TV on. It was on ABC, and I couldn't process what I was seeing. Smoke was billowing out of what I recognized as one of the WTC towers. Then I remember saying, "where the fuck is the other one?" Thankfully, the boy didn't even know anything was wrong. I listened to the news coming from my clock radio the next night as I lay on an air mattress on the floor of my new bedroom. I'd never felt so alone or frightened in my life. And I haven't felt that way since.
2. The start of the FIRST Gulf War - When we began combat operations.
I was a receptionist/intern at a small civil engineering firm. I had the radio on, and they broke into programming with the sounds of bombs. I went into the main office and told everyone, "it just started. We're bombing Iraq." Being in an Air Force town made it all so strange. The base went into high security mode. Yellow ribbons were everywhere. I watched the war on CNN, just like everyone else, riveted by the tracers flying over Baghdad.
3. The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded
It was Junior year of high school, and I was in chemistry class. Mr. Leigh, my biology teacher from the past year, poked his head into the room and said, "the Space Shuttle just blew up." The horrible part was, we didn't believe him because he was a joker. He'd put wind-up toys on the overhead projector while we were taking notes. We spent the week before Christmas break watching "Monty Python and the Holy Grail." This was a sick (but wonderful) man. Then the principal came on the P.A. system and confirmed it. We spent the next five minutes led in prayer (Catholic school), and TVs were set up around the school so we could follow the coverage.
4. The Space Shuttle Columbia broke up during re-entry
On that Saturday morning, Miles and I went for a walk without seeing the news first. One of the neighborhood homes had a full-height flagpole and his flag was half-mast. We knew then that something was wrong. We went home and turned on the TV. I saw that William McCool was the pilot and I felt sick – I had been friends with Willie's younger brother, Shawn, and had met his parents, Barry and Audrey. Shawn had always spoken with such awe about his brother, and after hearing about his career, I understood why. Barry was a former Naval pilot and a wonderful, charming man who flirted with all of the girls, and Audrey was loving and brilliant. When I heard that Barry was going to Houston to join the investigation, my heart broke for all of them.
5. Reagan was shot
I was in middle school, and Sister Barbara, our principal (yes, another Catholic school), came over the P.A., told us and led us in prayer.
6. John Lennon was shot
My mom and I were sitting on the couch in the living room, watching "Little House on the Prairie" when it happened. NBC broke away from the show with a special report. My mother cried horribly. She had come of age during the Beatles' heyday and John was her absolute favorite. I worried about her for days because she was so sad. I think that, perhaps, the last of her hopeful adolescence died when he did.
7. The Pope was shot
I was in grade school, and Sister Barbara, our principal (you know the drill by now), told us over the P.A. We were taken into the church where we were led in prayer.
8. Berlin Wall came down
This is the point at which I was busily misspending my youth, so I was probably too drunk or self-centered to realize what was going on.
9. President Clinton was acquitted of impeachment
I was so disgusted by the whole thing that I didn't pay attention.
10. Election night 2000
That was like watching Forrest Gump play ping pong. You couldn't keep up. I do remember Tim Russert trying to calculate all the different "what if?" scenarios, obviously tired and flabbergasted, and I thought it was one of the strangest things I'd ever witnessed. Unfortunately, what happened in the following weeks was much, MUCH worse.
11. When Kennedy was shot (for my more mature readers)
I wasn't a twinkle. I was barely an egg. My mom was only 15, for heaven's sake.
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