People tend to remember exactly what they were doing when tragedy strikes. When the tragedy is of national importance, that day is burned into our collective memory and provides a common ground that other events just don't foster.
I remember standing in line at the Teter-Elkin dining hall when the news about the Challenger explosion was announced. I remember attending a lecture regarding media coverage of the event. I remember one of the local newspaper editors gloating over a colored picture of the explosion versus a black and white photo. I remember the laughing that followed.
I remember feeling sick.
I've never held a job in my 'field' of education. I switched my emphasis from broadcasting to magazine writing during my next advisory session.
Major events and their aftermaths change us. Our outlook is changed, sometimes for long term, sometimes for a few weeks or months. And it never hurts to reflect back, when those anniversaries roll around, on who we were at that moment and to evaluate who we are now.
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