50 Years Later

Where were you when you heard President Kennedy had been shot? I was in school with my classmates, now fellow baby boomers. I looked to my teacher when we heard the announcement and saw emotions and fear in her face that I had never seen before. I read this week that the baby boomers, school aged 50 years ago, are the ones who have shaped the national memories of this event. The assassination of John F. Kennedy was the watershed event that defined our generation, the generation that defines how we look at the world today. The world wasn't what it appeared to be. The Kennedy assassination ripped away the veneer and the devastating tragedy struck us down and touched us all. The ugly side of reality blindsided us.

Where was I when the twin towers fell? I was once again in school. No announcement was made to our students this time. The news came to me in a call from my daughter-in-law and the photos on the internet and the large numbers of panicked parents suddenly picking up their kids brought the unreality home. Although we were instructed to remain professional and not tell the students what was happening (like when they watched the Challenger explode after launch) the stunning news of this tragedy couldn't be kept from our hearts and faces. Already this watershed event has impacted and influenced our culture. Another watershed event defining the next generation, the generation that will define how future generations look at the world.