There are times when looking back is a pleasure, and times when it's very painful.
I was living in New Hampshire at the time of this disaster. Christa McAulliffe was our teacher. Every child of school age in the state of New Hampshire was watching when the Challenger disintegrated, and many of us "working stiffs" were glued to television sets in conference rooms and anywhere else we could find a television set.
Maybe it was time-delayed. But even 20 years later, those images are fresh and immediate to me.
Say a prayer today in memory of those astronauts who indeed reached out and touched the face of God.
_____
8 comments:
I was in 8th grade at the time and I happened to have Science Class at the time of the launch, so since the space shuttle launch was scientific, our teacher took us down to the library where we set up a television and prepared to watch the first teacher go into space.
None of us knew that wasn't supposed to happen, we were all in shock I think, until they showed it again...saw it live and will never forget it..
I was living in NH as well-Manchester St in Concord, as a matter of fact.
I had the day off & was still recovering from my plane crash injuries. Had to go to court that day and couldn't drive as yet. My room-mate Barry was going to drive me over. We were just getting ready to go when we saw it on TV.
Barry grew up in Concord & had McAullife for a teacher.
Later in the car, some sonofabitch with evil taste kept playing & replaying "And she was" by the Talking Heads on the radio. We almost drove over to the station to choke the living shit outta the bastard.
I don't think anyone will forget where they were or what they were doing that day.
like ktreva, i was in science class. though growing up in space city (houston) i'm pretty sure everyone of school age was watching. ugh, and it was my brother's bday too.
i think the statute of limitations ran out on the meme, sorry, i had no phone line for 4 days. later, leslie...
Earlier that morning, I had seen a newscast showing the ice on the launching pad. Later, on my way to work, the news on the car radio was covering the pre-launch stuff. I remember, at that moment (and I remember exactly where the car was at that moment) thinking, "I have a bad feeling about this one."
An hour or so later, a co-woker came into my office to tell me that the shuttle blew up. The rest is, as they say, history.
I was getting ready for work and had the tv on.
As I passed by I stopped to watch the launch.
I just remember looking at it and thinking "uh oh, that didn't look right".
I never suspected it would happen. I'd come to think of shuttle launches as routine & barely news-worthy by then.
An unpleasant wake-up call, to be sure.
I was in our church auditorium that morning... my ma, the church secretary walked in, totally stunned, and gave me the news.
One of the few instances that will forever be burned into my mind.
I was at a little mini-mart in El Reno, Oklahoma. Middle of nowhere, I tell you. I was listening to the countdown on the radio and sped to this little store, where there were eight or ten country folk watchin' this crappy little tv. It was a very sad day, wherever you were.
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