Where Were You

[cpatinjones]

I was in 3rd grade

[JudyJB]

I remember owning a transistor radio. They were VERY expensive back then. And there was no channel surfing because: 1) there were only 3 channels (4 in Detroit because we got CBC), and 2) you actually had to get out of your chair to change the channels!

The good part was that those were the days when television was live, so you got to see Steve Allen and other shows live, which meant that the funniest things happened when stuff didn't go right.

With live TV, you had newsmen crying on screen and awkward, but real, moments when they shifted cameras. Much better than all the rehearsed and taped stuff we get today.

[Nasoosie]

I was sitting in my car outside my office at school where I was a second-year teacher. Kids were coming out of school having an argument about something, and I called them over to my car where my radio was on, and we all listened to the news together, crying together.

[Lopo]

I was in study hall, my senior year in high school, when one of the guys came in and said, "The president's been shot," and we all jumped on him and told him that was a rotten joke - and then we found out it wasn't a joke, and we were never the same after that.

[carold]

I was eating at the Ratskellar with friends at Florida State. I know it's hard to believe, but I was speechless and then started crying. Others started cheering. A very divided time.

[cnq50b]

I was in 8th grade. Our teacher Sister Elizabeth Jean (her first year teaching & we all loved her) was called to the door by the principal. She came back in crying & told us. Shortly thereafter, school was dismissed - we walked home & watched TV nonstop for the next few days.
Can't imagine schools getting dismissed as quickly now as they did that day. Back then they just let us go.

[BarbaraRose]

I was also only barely two at the time. I vaguely remember my mom being very upset about something but of course I didn't understand then. I just went back to playing with my Barbie Doll.

Other things I do remember vividly were the Challenger explosion in '85, and of course, the 911 attack. It seems that at those times, time stands still for awhile as it all sinks in.

[Redwahine]

I was in 8th grade in SoCal. Just finished P.E. class and in the shower when they turned off the water so we could hear the announcement over the P.A. system. All I wanted to do was rinse the soap off so I could get dressed. We had early dismissal and my girlfriend and I walked home very slowly, not talking, but trying to figure out what it all meant!

[AlmostThere]

I was a freshman in HS, just got to study hall when a teacher came in with the news. I don't recall anyone being that upset (crying etc). We went about the rest of the school day as usual. I remember all TV channels covered the assassination, the murder of Oswald and then the funeral. That was pretty much all there was to watch for weeks.
I also remember where I was when Reagan got shot; in a housewares store shopping.
9/11 I was sleeping and got a call from my DIL (6AM) to wake up and turn on the TV. Also with my son in the military all the bases were on shutdown.
The Challenger explosion: I was getting my kids up, they were in high school, and I had the news on.