This coming Friday marks 50 years since his assassination. I was 8 years old and yet, I still remember the day 'Camelot' came to it's untimely end.
I was in elementary school, the 3rd grade. I want to say around 1:30 pm the phone rang,( a black phone that was mounted on the wall), in our classroom. Our teacher answered the phone, made a gasping sound, covered her mouth, then immediately left out of the room.
Leaving us puzzled, bewildered, we stared at one another questioning our teacher's reaction to the phone call.
Before long, the door opened and she was bringing in a television that sat on a tall metal stand, this stood about 6 feet.
The teacher then turned on the TV and we all sat in awe listening to the interrupted news bulletin. It was announced that President Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas, and died from his mortal wounds.
Our teacher burst into uncontrollable tears, just sobbing.
One girl, and I will never forget her name , Kathy Sackrider screamed and fainted, falling out of her desk seat.
My god---we were only 8 years old! "Third graders," and "WE, CHILDREN," shocked and feeling great sorrow for our fallen leader.
The school was dismissed after the announcement and we ran home staying "glued" to our televisions.
Later, the funeral. Four days, four nights the world stopped...stood still... just quite.
As if GOD took away the wind but left the tumultuous atmosphere; dark, damp and sorrowful.
We lost something that day people and we will never get it back--- NEVER.
We lost hope, pride & respect. We became vulnerable, comatose, lifeless. Innocence erased.
We lost youth in comparison to the presidents and first ladies before. We lost glamour, charm, charisma.
We lost imagination, courage, and strength.
We lost a new decade, a new generation. We were on our way into the future with visions of Camelot; with our handsome & debonair, gallant & chivalrous, President John Kennedy.
In life he fell short of greatness because of death. But because of death, he was made great.
And yet, he had much to do and eager to do it. Moving forward to explore new frontiers.
"Many respected his coolness when faced with difficult decisions. Others admire his ability to inspire people.
Yet others, still his compassion & his willingness to fight for new government programs.
To help the poor, the elderly, and the ill were most important." And---wanting to end a war that we were not going to win: Vietnam.
At his eulogy his brother Robert Kennedy read the last stanza of Jack's favorite poem by Robert Frost:
"The woods are lovely, dark, and deep
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."
"Like all leaders he made mistakes... but he was always optimistic about the future."
Jackie Kennedy said: "There will be great presidents again. But never will there be another Camelot."
No never...
...a magical era, and its images that created it.
"Don't let it be forgot
That once there was a spot
For one brief shining moment
That was known as Camelot."
"Like all sweet dreams, it will be brief...but brevity makes sweetness, doesn't it? Yes, I think so. Because when the time is gone, you can never get it back." ~Stephen King's 11/22/63.
And so it is...and I, for one, still miss him.
~LJLS
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