Growing up in the late 70’s and early 80’s I remember hearing people ask “Where were you when Kennedy was shot?”.
If you were alive when he was shot, I’m sure you know the answer.
“Where were you when we landed on the moon?”
“Did you hear that speech? I have a dream…”
“Where were you when the Challenger exploded?” I was in my 5th grade classroom – Mr. Hansen was the teacher. He turned off the TV either right before or just as it happened. My memory is that something had happened but I wasn’t sure what. Either to get on with the day not knowing what had happened, or to shield a young group of children from the horror that had just happened on live television, he simply moved on with the lesson while my brain tried to figure out what I just saw.
“What did you do for Y2K?”
“Where were you when 9/11 happened?”
These historical moments that either shake us to the core, or are embedded in our memory for other reasons. Right now, we are living through moments that are shaping our history and our future. Grand bold moments that in the lens of history will have weight and an air to them that will feel inspiring, nostalgic or maybe even feel simplistic in the rear view mirror with the knowledge of what came from what was supposed to be.
Where were you when Trump was shot?
What were you doing when you heard that Biden dropped out of the race? I was in the garden. Weeding. The same weeds are still out there, waiting for me to return, not knowing that the world was somehow a different place just a few days, weeks… moments ago.
Where will you be when the first woman is sworn in as President? The first Black Woman President. The first Asian-American President.
In 30 or 40 years, we will be watching a movie or reading a book or listening to a podcast about the days surrounding the decision of Joe Biden to step aside, which allowed for the election of Kamala Harris, the first woman president of the United States. The first Black woman President. The first Asian-American President. I’m sure that this movie, book, or podcast will also review what happened to Trump, and the assassination attempt. He will be in the rear view mirror. A footnote to the history that we will try to erase when we look back at this time. If Trump is anything, he is the darkness through which we can shine a light through to the future.
While one could argue that every moment in time is creating history, there is a difference in history that is remembered, talked about, written about, dissected, revered, or even swept away.
We are living in those moments where you will look back and remember where you were.
As we head into this election, where will you be?
