Where Were You When...?
This morning as I watched the news I was transported back to my high school choir room during my sophomore year. That’s exactly where I was ten years ago when we were told of the Oklahoma City bombing. Our spring concert was that night and it became dedicated to the victims and their families. The next morning we left for a music festival in San Francisco. It’s funny how certain events are so huge or shocking that everything that surrounds it becomes ingrained in our memory. I think that is the only concert that I can still recall almost every song that we sang. I’m even reminded of the person that I was. I was yet to hit my stride and become comfortable in my skin. My high school Super Star days were still ahead of me and I tried so painfully hard to be an authentic individual. I had to prove that I was not at all like anyone else! One news story and I am once again an awkward 15 year old.
Sometimes the world stopping moments are obvious. I’m sure we all know where we were and what we were doing on 9/11, and we knew without a doubt that life was changed forever the second the first plane crashed through the World Trade Center. But, what about today? Is April 19, 2005 one of those days? Will we look back and say, “I remember when Pope Benedict XVI was elected. I was working on a loan file when I heard about the white smoke.” I don’t know about that one. I’ll probably remember John Paul II’s death, because he was such a huge part of my Catholic upbringing. He’s the only Pope that I have known, so it’s going to be really strange seeing someone else in that role. Not that I agreed with everything John Paul II did, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to agree with a lot of what the new Pope stands for. In a sorta’ sad way this year has been the end of an era for me. As long as I can remember, around my birthday my dad would always tell me that he had invited both President Reagan and the Pope to my birthday party. Other notable figures would join them from time to time, but Ronald Reagan and the Pope always remained. Of course, there was always some big diplomatic or religious reason why they couldn’t make it that year. Sadly, they both passed this year without ever making it to my birthday party. Who will we invite now?
Sometimes the world stopping moments are obvious. I’m sure we all know where we were and what we were doing on 9/11, and we knew without a doubt that life was changed forever the second the first plane crashed through the World Trade Center. But, what about today? Is April 19, 2005 one of those days? Will we look back and say, “I remember when Pope Benedict XVI was elected. I was working on a loan file when I heard about the white smoke.” I don’t know about that one. I’ll probably remember John Paul II’s death, because he was such a huge part of my Catholic upbringing. He’s the only Pope that I have known, so it’s going to be really strange seeing someone else in that role. Not that I agreed with everything John Paul II did, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not going to agree with a lot of what the new Pope stands for. In a sorta’ sad way this year has been the end of an era for me. As long as I can remember, around my birthday my dad would always tell me that he had invited both President Reagan and the Pope to my birthday party. Other notable figures would join them from time to time, but Ronald Reagan and the Pope always remained. Of course, there was always some big diplomatic or religious reason why they couldn’t make it that year. Sadly, they both passed this year without ever making it to my birthday party. Who will we invite now?
posted by Unknown at 9:56 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home