Do you remember where you were when you heard...

[phillygirl]

I had a conversation with a friend last week about the death of Prince. She commented: "We'll always remember where we were when we heard about it."

Not me. I barely remember now…with the exception that I saw it on the internet and told my co-workers. One by one, as people were returning from wherever they were, a few were announcing it and I thought it kind of funny that it was the kind of news that we would stop our work to announce. But it's not something that will stick with me.

She asked if I remembered where I was when I heard about Michael Jackson dying. Nope. Same for John Lennon, Elvis Presley (although I do remember that week, as a special was run on the television and it was a big deal for my mom), Jerry Garcia, Kurt Cobain, and pretty much any other celebrity.

Who/what do I remember? Princess Di (I was in a bar with a lot of friends and noticed the big screen t.v.'s were reporting it. It took me a bit to pay attention and read the subtitles. I remember the Challenger explosion, the day the Pope was shot, when the Vietnam POW's came home as well as the Americans from the Iranian hostage crisis and er John Kennedy Jr.'s death.
How about you all? What are the deaths, tragedies (not personal, but newsworthy) that you remember where you were when it happened/you learned of it?

[Gingersnap]

My FIL died that same day as the Challenger disaster so I remember that. I remember the moon walk as a little kid because it was such a big deal although I didn't "get" it.

I was driving into work when 9/11 happened and I sure remember that.

I remember Michael Jackson only because Farrah Fawcett died that day. I don't remember Princess
Diana other than hoopla. I remember the O.J. Simpson verdict.

I'm not that into celebtards as a rule so I'm not very aware of their death dates. I remember Amy Winehouse dying but to be honest - I couldn't name a date.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

JFK's assassination. That's the first one I recall exactly where I was. Where I was in the week after MLK's assassination (moving to the DC area), but not at the exact moment. Eisenhower, oddly enough, perhaps because he was the first president I was aware of being President. Elvis for sure, although not most celebrities. The Oklahoma City bombing. The Twin Towers. I'm sure I'm leaving something out.

[phillygirl]

My FIL died that same day as the Challenger disaster so I remember that. I remember the moon walk as a little kid because it was such a big deal although I didn't "get" it.

I was driving into work when 9/11 happened and I sure remember that.

I remember Michael Jackson only because Farrah Fawcett died that day. I don't remember Princess
Diana other than hoopla. I remember the O.J. Simpson verdict.

I'm not that into celebtards as a rule so I'm not very aware of their death dates. I remember Amy Winehouse dying but to be honest - I couldn't name a date.

I vaguely remember the moon walk, not the exact time, but the replays in the week. My parents woke my sister up to see it, but not me.

[Gingersnap]

Honestly, I only have a mental check mark on the Oklahoma Bombing because I was doing something with my hair and the stylist had a big TV on. Youth.....

[phillygirl]

I remember Nixon resigning. It was one of the rare occasions that my mom was out of the house. As I recall, she was with my best friend's mom. My dad was home and watching it. I remember him telling me how important it was and to be quiet. As soon as I heard the words "I am resigning" (or something to that effect), I begged my father to change the channel so we could watch something interesting (as if the other 6 channels that existed would have anything else on).

[phillygirl]

Miracle on Ice 1980…that was sooo exciting!

[Gingersnap]

I think there are fewer united "moments" as we move away from the 3 channel experience.

With so many outlets for any news, all news becomes less expressive of a national identity. It's less unifying and more diffuse. 50 years from now, there may be no things like this.

No one will will a memory of events because any event will no longer be a shared national experience. It will just be if you as an individual tuned in at the moment and cared.

[phillygirl]

I think there are fewer united "moments" as we move away from the 3 channel experience.

With so many outlets for any news, all news becomes less expressive of a national identity. It's less unifying and more diffuse. 50 years from now, there may be no things like this.

No one will will a memory of events because any event will no longer be a shared national experience. It will just be if you as an individual tuned in at the moment and cared.

Yes. And since everyone is so plugged in all the time, getting the latest alerts on the phone, on our computer screen, etc., it is more of a fluid experience.

Speaking of which, I learned of the passing of a fellow attorney on Friday within almost minutes of his death. Another laser happened to be visiting him when he died (he was old) and immediately took to Facebook to share the news. The lawyer's partner had called me to tell me, so I wouldn't learn of it via email. Too late…her idiot associate was posting before he left the old people's home, I think. Idiot.

[Gingersnap]

Yes. And since everyone is so plugged in all the time, getting the latest alerts on the phone, on our computer screen, etc., it is more of a fluid experience.

Speaking of which, I learned of the passing of a fellow attorney on Friday within almost minutes of his death. Another laser happened to be visiting him when he died (he was old) and immediately took to Facebook to share the news. The lawyer's partner had called me to tell me, so I wouldn't learn of it via email. Too late…her idiot associate was posting before he left the old people's home, I think. Idiot.

I have so resisted this in my own life. I'm constantly told how "selfish" I am for not doing Facebook or having a smartphone. Not joining someone on a Netflix binge. Whatever.

The older I get, the less I want to be involved with this. Whatever the horror is may be - death, drugs, nihilism, financial or sexual ruin - I'm okay with finding out about it later. I don't want to see the seeds of jealously, anger, gossip, or depression. I can't offer anything useful but constantly being exposed to it wouldn't help me.

Or anybody.

[Frostbit]

I have so resisted this in my own life. I'm constantly told how "selfish" I am for not doing Facebook or having a smartphone. Not joining someone on a Netflix binge. Whatever.

The older I get, the less I want to be involved with this. Whatever the horror is may be - death, drugs, nihilism, financial or sexual ruin - I'm okay with finding out about it later. I don't want to see the seeds of jealously, anger, gossip, or depression. I can't offer anything useful but constantly being exposed to it wouldn't help me.

Or anybody.

This was the great revelation of our 16,000 mile road trip. We were mostly unplugged. Yes we did pop facebook updates when possible as to location and some pics but it wasn't daily. We didm;t check out the "news". We just laughed the days away.

Now we are home and I was hoping the "nightly news" and HGTV would not become a regular occurrence. They are not as obtrusive as before but Joyce still checks in.

I could so be an escapee. Sell it all, donate the taxidermy to a blind "feel me" nonprofit, climb into the truck camper (though I would upgrade to a Bigfoot) and just stay nomadic until we just couldn't any longer. I would not miss the landscaping upkeep, though I love doing it, gardening, though I love doing it, and maintaining all the hardware it takes to have a homestead that resembles a compound.

AS too memories of location at memorable deaths, I only have two. 5th grade class with Mrs. Larson telling us to knell and pray on that awful tile floor after the Nun came in to tell her Kennedy was shot. The other wads 9/11. I was filling in on the North Slope of Alaska at the BOC for BP.

I can also tell you exactly where I was when Joyce was finally diagnosed with cancer. But that wasn't too long ago.

[Gingersnap]

This was the great revelation of our 16,000 mile road trip. We were mostly unplugged. Yes we did pop facebook updates when possible as to location and some pics but it wasn't daily. We didm;t check out the "news". We just laughed the days away.

Now we are home and I was hoping the "nightly news" and HGTV would not become a regular occurrence. They are not as obtrusive as before but Joyce still checks in.

I could so be an escapee. Sell it all, donate the taxidermy to a blind "feel me" nonprofit, climb into the truck camper (though I would upgrade to a Bigfoot) and just stay nomadic until we just couldn't any longer. I would not miss the landscaping upkeep, though I love doing it, gardening, though I love doing it, and maintaining all the hardware it takes to have a homestead that resembles a compound.

AS too memories of location at memorable deaths, I only have two. 5th grade class with Mrs. Larson telling us to knell and pray on that awful tile floor after the Nun came in to tell her Kennedy was shot. The other wads 9/11. I was filling in on the North Slope of Alaska at the BOC for BP.

I can also tell you exactly where I was when Joyce was finally diagnosed with cancer. But that wasn't too long ago.

I'm with you. There's enough horror and viciousness. I don't want to be a constant consumer. There's so much better being unplugged and wild.

When you are wild, you're in the moment. And the moments are so exquisite. There's no screen experience that can capture that seductive, elusive, presence.

I'm too wild to be chained up that way. It fine for the domesticated.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Honestly, I only have a mental check mark on the Oklahoma Bombing because I was doing something with my hair and the stylist had a big TV on. Youth.....

I assume you mean "Youth" to refer to the hairstylist. I was 42, so you were no kid.

I was rocking and nursing HRH, who was 10 weeks old, when someone called and told me to turn on the TV. I was still pretty hormonal, and when they said the daycare was blown up, I burst into tears, then HRH started wailing, and when I tried to stand up and turn the TV off, I rocked on my little toe and broke it.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

I remember Nixon resigning. It was one of the rare occasions that my mom was out of the house. As I recall, she was with my best friend's mom. My dad was home and watching it. I remember him telling me how important it was and to be quiet. As soon as I heard the words "I am resigning" (or something to that effect), I begged my father to change the channel so we could watch something interesting (as if the other 6 channels that existed would have anything else on).

Oh, we're doing any major historical event? I thought it was just deaths and tragedies. In front of McKeldin Library on the U of MD campus.

And I was on the Mall in DC for 1 papal visit and both the '87 and '93 March on Washington.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Miracle on Ice 1980…that was sooo exciting!

Threepeat and Team of the '80s!