WHERE WERE YOU WHEN......

I saw this on a blog a week or so ago. I found it interesting and thought provoking so I decided to "borrow" it (with a few modifications)....the idea is to answer the question "where were you when......."

Space Shuttle Challenger explodes Jan 28/86 : When this happened, I was attending university. A fellow student came running into the lobby to let us all know what had happened and I thought he was losing it. I headed home and turned on the TV. There were the images that I will never forget. I spent the next several days crying and watching the coverage, hoping against hope that somehow the crew would be found alive. Even though I knew there was no way it would happen, I wasn't ready to accept their fate.

Oklahoma City Bombing,April 19,1995 : I was home tending to the gremlins who were 2 1/2 yrs and 7 months old at the time. I had just fed them and was going to put on gremlin #1's favourtie movie (Beauty and the Beast..I can still sing most of the songs from that dumb movie..lmao). The news flash came on and I was stunned and frozen in place. I am grateful my gremlins were young enough that they didn't understand what was unfolding, not that I understood it either. To this day, I still can't see Garth Brook's video without crying.

Death of Princess Diana, Aug 31, 1997 : I had gotten the gremlins to sleep and was relaxing watching TV because it was too hot to sleep. Shortly before midnight (est) the news came on TV of the crash. Immediately, I started to cry while praying that she would be OK. As soon as they started showing pics of her car, I knew it wasn't good. It was shortly after that they announced her death. The next days were dark ones filled with tears and prayers. Watching her funeral was so very hard, but I couldn't seem to help myself.

Columbine shooting April 20/99 : This day is as clear in my mind as if it was yesterday. It was unseasonably warm in my neck of the woods. I had my windows open, enjoying the 1st breathe of fresh spring air, and all was right in my world. I was putting together a new desk I had bought when the first news flash came on. I was glued to the TV the rest of the day hoping and praying that no one would die. I kept hugging my gremlins, praying that they would never know such fear and danger in their life. To this day, I still find myself thinking of that place I had never heard of before...and I still can't help but wonder why....

9/11 Attacks, Sept 11/01 : This, by far is the worst of all these events for me. It was a beautiful fall day and I was enjoying the sun as I walked home, after taking the gremlins to school. A neighbour came out to walk her dog and told me a plane had hit the WTC. I thought she was mistaken (mostly because she is one pickle short of a full jar..lmao). I strolled home and turned on the TV in time to see the terrible events of that awful day unfold. I called my sister and told her what was going on. I was one of the few times I heard her crying over something on the TV. I am the crier not her. I was glued to the TV until the kids came home but of course I wouldn't let them watch any TV for fear they might see those terrible images. Seeing those buildings fall was so ominious I could barely breathe just watching it all...listening to survivor stories just made me want to run there and hug them all.

These are a few of the moments in time that I feel have helped define and shape our recent past. The thing that strikes me the most about these 5 events was remembering how I felt right before I got the tragic news. The sun on my face... the feeling of contentment...then BAM the world turned upside down. During each of these 5 periods in time, I cried many tears and prayed for those affected or killed.

I invite anyone reading this to share your thoughts about "where were you when...."It doesn't have to be these 5 moments in time...it can be any event you feel is note worthy. If you decide to post about this, please let me know because I would LOVE to read your thoughts. Thanks for taking the time to read mine.......

As always, to be continued............