Where Were You

I was in O.R. 6 today, doing a TAH with Dr. Jolles when I heard that Michael Jackson had died. Although I'm not particularly broken up about it, it is a loss for the entertainment industry. The "King of Pop" had many troubles, and I sincerely doubt he had a spontaneous cardiac arrest (I'm betting on a prescription painkiller overdose). Still, it makes you think about where you were when you hear 'big news.' I don't know why some news stories are more memorable than others. Even so, here are some of those moments. The first moment I remember is when the Challenger shuttle exploded. I was in the first grade, in Panguitch, Utah and I heard my teacher (Mrs. Holman) say, "They blew up the space shuttle." That's what she said; not 'The space shuttle blew up.' I don't remember understanding exactly what happened, I knew that the adults were really upset, and that this moment would be a defining one. I hate that I remember this, but when the O.J. Simpson verdict was read, I was in a journalism class in Logan High School. We actually took time out of our class to watch it. Silly. Who cares? On 9/11, I was in France, serving as a missionary. That story is a bit longer; I wrote more about it here, if you're interested in reading it. There haven't been many news stories that have been as memorable since then (until today). I honestly don't remember where I was when President Obama was elected; it's probable that I was at work, so I couldn't watch the results. I know it was life-changing for some people. Sorry--I'm not one of them. There are other moments that have defined me, but they are more personal, like finding out that someone I love had died. It's interesting how some external events can have such a powerful effect on you, isn't it? What moments have defined you?