Where Were You?
There are many events in our shared history that seem to mark our lives. When we talk about these events, the common question is, "Where were you?" For example:
Where were you when John F. Kennedy was shot? Where were you when you saw the landing on the moon? Where were you when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot? Where were you when John Lennon was shot? Where were you when the space ship Challenger blew up? Where were you on September 11?
These questions, and their answers, bring us closer together. I'd like to answer one of these questions now.
I remember this event. I was eight years old; one of my cousins had just died. We traveled to another state for her funeral. It was on a bitterly cold December day. After the funeral we all proceeded outside of the church and waited for her casket to come out of the church. We stood in a line, my family and I, in the freezing cold. I was standing next to my mother. The adults talked amongst themselves; I stood silently.
I then remember hearing someone say, "Did you hear John Lennon was killed?" An audible gasp rose from the people within earshot. I stood there confused.
"Mom? Who is John Lennon?"
"He's a Beatle dear."
"Oh...........Mom? What's a Beatle?"
I was then told that the Beatles was the name of a rock group from the 1960s. I had only heard John Lennon's name once. I didn't know who he was, who the Beatles were, what John Lennon looked like or sounded like. I didn't know that he was half of the most influential songwriting team in history. I didn't know that the Beatles were the most popular musical group on the planet, or that they'd broken up two years before I was born. I didn't even know how John Lennon had died. But I knew from that gasp that I heard that something important had happened that day, and that an important person was gone.
From that day on, I began to try to find out more information on the Beatles. In the days before the internet or CDs or mp3 players, I went to my local library and read about them. The first time I heard the Beatles music, I didn't know it was them. My sisters had some of their albums, and I began to listen to them. As I grew, I then knew the Fab Four by name. While other kids my age were listening to Pink Floyd and INXS, I was listening to Sgt. Pepper.
Today is the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon. His killing was a truly tragic event that reverberated across the universe. I am grateful for the musical legacy he created and for his message of peace. I think the world today still needs to hear that message.
The world still misses you John.
© Esperanza Habla All Rights Reserved
Where were you when John F. Kennedy was shot? Where were you when you saw the landing on the moon? Where were you when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot? Where were you when John Lennon was shot? Where were you when the space ship Challenger blew up? Where were you on September 11?
These questions, and their answers, bring us closer together. I'd like to answer one of these questions now.
I remember this event. I was eight years old; one of my cousins had just died. We traveled to another state for her funeral. It was on a bitterly cold December day. After the funeral we all proceeded outside of the church and waited for her casket to come out of the church. We stood in a line, my family and I, in the freezing cold. I was standing next to my mother. The adults talked amongst themselves; I stood silently.
I then remember hearing someone say, "Did you hear John Lennon was killed?" An audible gasp rose from the people within earshot. I stood there confused.
"Mom? Who is John Lennon?"
"He's a Beatle dear."
"Oh...........Mom? What's a Beatle?"
I was then told that the Beatles was the name of a rock group from the 1960s. I had only heard John Lennon's name once. I didn't know who he was, who the Beatles were, what John Lennon looked like or sounded like. I didn't know that he was half of the most influential songwriting team in history. I didn't know that the Beatles were the most popular musical group on the planet, or that they'd broken up two years before I was born. I didn't even know how John Lennon had died. But I knew from that gasp that I heard that something important had happened that day, and that an important person was gone.
From that day on, I began to try to find out more information on the Beatles. In the days before the internet or CDs or mp3 players, I went to my local library and read about them. The first time I heard the Beatles music, I didn't know it was them. My sisters had some of their albums, and I began to listen to them. As I grew, I then knew the Fab Four by name. While other kids my age were listening to Pink Floyd and INXS, I was listening to Sgt. Pepper.
Today is the anniversary of the assassination of John Lennon. His killing was a truly tragic event that reverberated across the universe. I am grateful for the musical legacy he created and for his message of peace. I think the world today still needs to hear that message.
The world still misses you John.
© Esperanza Habla All Rights Reserved
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