Where were you when.....

I wonder if that, for the current generation of 20-somethings (whom I refer to as "gentext"), the movie theatre shooting in Colorado could become one of those watershed moments that every generation has (think Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, man on the moon, fall of Saigon, you get the idea). Of course I may be overstating things a bit. With that in mind I was thinking of bad events that the media have gone gaga for over the course of my life. And, where was I when they happened???? I'll work backwards. Before I start, let's pause for me to take my fish-oil memory pills. 

OK, I'm ready:

9/11/2001:     At the high school where I was teaching French. In a spooky aside, I had just put down a book about the 1993 WTC bombing after thinking "Who would try that?" Not one minute later, I was told about 9/11.

 July 1996:    TWA flight 800 crashed going to France: I remember this because I had a flight on TWA in August 1996.

Summer 1995:   Chicago heat wave that killed over 700 people: Working in D.C. area- it was really hot.

April 1995:      OKC bombing: working at Mail Boxes, Etc. in Irvine, CA. I had a silly apron I had to wear.

Summer 1987:   Baby Jessica:     Little girl fell into a pipe in Midland, Texas. All over the news- seems almost quaint now. I was in front of the t.v. like everyone else.

1986:     Challenger explosion:   I remember this one like it was yesterday. In 9th grade and the class clown came back to class from the office and said "The shuttle just exploded." Not one of us believed him, including the teacher.

March 1981:    Reagan shot:    I was in grade school not too far from the scene of the assassination attempt. I remember we wrote "get well soon" letters to Mr. Reagan and the others who were injured. I still have the thank you note from Mr. Reagan somewhere around here.

 Now I really have to think hard.....

1979-1981 more or less:    Hostages in Iran:  I remember being a little kiddie and there were yellow ribbons on all the trees. I was going to rip one off and a friend told me not to because of why they were up.

late 1970s:     Oil embargo:  I remember sitting in the car forever to get gas over and over again.

 That's as far as I can go without making stuff up. What about you, dear reader? What do you remember?

 

What disasters and catastrophes will Carter and Reid remember, I wonder.