I remember exactly where I was….

Photos taken at the Wellington Show 2006

On Wednesday while driving home from Nowra Mr J commented that it was September 10th. When I asked what was significant about that date he said that he seemed to remember that on 1989 September 10th Hungary opened it’s borders to the west, allowing thousands to leave East Germany. He could remember hearing it over the radio while he was driving to work on afternoon shift. He said that he was sitting at the traffic lights on Parramatta Rd., Strathfield when the announcement came across the radio.

It is amazing that when something significant takes place that we can remember such vivid circumstances yet at other times we can not even remember what day it is lol. Perhaps the shock of the news freezes the time and surroundings permanently into one’s memory.
During the rest of the journey we thought back to where we were during many major events.
Death of the Princess of Wales August 31st 1997, we were sitting in the lounge room of our home in Darwin with visitors from Sydney when Ms K (just a little girl) came out to say that she had heard the news over the radio. Naturally everyone thought she was mistaken so we turned the TV on to find it on every station.

First news of Cyclone Tracey hitting Darwin December 25th 1975, we were in church Christmas morning when the priest came out to announce the news to the congregation.
Landing on the moon July 21st 1969, I was in third grade and the teacher turned on the black and white TV just as Armstrong put his left foot down and declared “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
Bali Bombing October 12th 2002, we were having dinner with friends when they commented how horrifying the bombing in Bali had been. It had just been announced as they left for the restaurant. Mr J and I knew nothing about it so as soon as dinner was over we left to go home and turn the television on.
Terrorist attack on World Trade Centre September 11th 2001. I had just met up with some friends when one of them asked if I had heard anything about it. When I turned on the television a press conference was being held and it was announced that the Pentagon had just been hit also.

Death of John Lennon December 8th 1980, we were having dinner at home when the evening news broke with the announcement that John Lennon had been shot four times in the back outside of his Manhatten apartment. I remember my mother saying that no amount of money can keep people safe any more.
These events were just a few that we touched on. It was interesting to realize how my memory sorted the dates. Was I single back then or married? Was I at school? I could remember dates once I put them into sequence with reference to fixed dates such as the birth of our children or the death of various family members. Do you remember exactly where you were?

My photos were taken at the Wellington Show, 2006. It is not hard to tell that Mr J and I love to browze through old relics lol