1963 Memories

No, not my own. But I almost felt like they were after the conversation that took place this morning at my local consignment shop. I was signing and dating a form so I could give some clothes to the shop, and when the lady helping me saw me glance at my watch for the date, she said "the 22nd. The day Kennedy was shot, how many years ago?...." Well it was in 1963, a gentleman browsing the racks next to us said... So that would be...48? Yeah, 48 years ago. How time flies. "It almost seems like yesterday," the lady remarked.

He continued: I was at work when I heard the news. Everyone in my office building just walked out in complete silence when the news spread. It was like they were walking in a funeral procession it was so silent and somber. It was devastating. He paused for a couple of moments. It was absolutely devastating, he said in emphasis.

The lady chimed in. "It was," she said. "Horrifying. I was pregnant at the time, and I remember thinking..." She looked right at me and placed her hand over her heart. "...what kind of world am I bringing this child into?"

I was at a loss for words, so I voiced an awed "wow" before she switched tones a moment later. "Well! Let's have a look at your clothes."

Somewhere in the middle of that conversation I thought to myself what an unique experience this was, listening to these two relive their memories of that day just like it was yesterday. I thought of how I have my own memories of a national catastrophe that still seems like yesterday. And I thought of how there is so much more to this world and this life than my own memories and experiences.

I was so glad I was there to experience in a small, distanced way, these memories that were not my own. They gave me a picture of the past I never knew and a greater appreciation for the generations before me.

This is one photo in a sequence of many that capture the moments of the shooting. Click here to see more.