The constant media discussion of "Where were you when JFK was killed?" is causing me a lot of angst having been conceived that day and bringing up images I’d rather not think about. On a serious note, it really makes me wonder how the whole experience in America of the 1960s and beyond might have been different if this never happened. Definitely one of the most tragic days in American history.

At the risk of annoying you Entropy I recall distinctly where I was that day and I wasn’t a twinkle in daddy’s eye!!

I was in 7th grade in a chorus class. An announcement was made over the school intercom and we spent the remainder of the class period in silence per our teacher’s instructions. Nobody said a word and the teacher did not need to remind anyone to be quiet or not fidget. Even 12 year olds understood the enormity of what had just happened.

I’m not one of you old fogies, I wasnt around yet…

But seriously, the closest I think I have come to one of those "where were you when" moments, was when Reagan got shot, I think I was in 4th grade and our Bus Driver told us, but we really didnt understand the full importance of it all, and then the other "where were you when" moments, was when the Challenger exploded & when 9/11 happened.

I wasn’t around either, but thanks to some good folks, my Mother especially, I was able to learn what a wonderful President (and man) Kennedy was. Certainly he had his faults like the rest of us, but he is a President to be well remembered.

I had not originally intended to post this, but since Morf and others posted about the 50th anniversary of JFK’s assassination, I thought I would add a personal note.

I was one of many who got to see JFK in person and shake his hand, and took this picture.
In the photo, above, (future) President Kennedy is looking straight at my simple black & white "box" camera. He made a speech and then came down to shake hands.
I was wearing a button that switched pictures from "The Man For The ’60’s and then a picture of JFK and wording "John F. Kennedy."

The pictures of that very button, that I saved through the years is included in this post.
This is the button JFK saw.

When moving along the line shaking hands, JFK noticed the button and said he liked it – I told him he looked so much better than the long-nosed buzzard he was running against. He shook my hand, laughed and patted me on the shoulder.

The woman to the left is JFK’s sister, Patricia Lawford Kennedy.