Where Were You on That Day in History?

In various conversations I have heard people say, "who would be interested in my life story?" As my friend Jay says, "you are interesting now, but you will be fascinating 50 years from now!"

The real food for life stories is in the details! When I think of my grandmother born in 1899, I recall her telling me she would rather take the elevator than the escalator. She didn't like the idea of a moving staircase and was afraid she would get her shoe stuck in it.

I remember the family getting together at her home to watch Neil Armstrong take the first steps on the moon. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind," he said. That was July 21, 1969. Richard Nixon was the president.

And I remember standing in the living room glued to the TV and seeing Jack Ruby shoot Lee Harvey Oswald. It happened right there, right on that black and white TV screen in front of all of America. It was November 24, 1963 and I was 12 years old. And what about the motorcade and John-John Kennedy giving that salute at the gravesite and Jackie Kennedy in her veil holding Carolyn's hand.

I was in Catholic grade school at the time and when the news came about the assassination, we all went into the church to pray. I had a hard time on the kneelers because I had just torn up my knees falling off my new blue Schwinn bike.

My church recently went through a process to become "green." The goal was using all recycled products from copy paper to plates. This means we'll be doing more dishes, of course.

What will people 50 years from now say about our interest in the environment? What will have occurred by then? How will people be living? Will everyone have electric cars and solar panels?

All the stories are in the details!