“Remember this is just a football game” - 12/7/1980

[djefferis]

The night John Lennon was murdered and the news was brought to the world on Monday Night Football.

Weird the things we remember from our childhood. Remember that night clearly - first time I ever saw my mom cry. Years later realized it was probably the bookend of her generation’s adolescence. Started with a shot in Dallas and ended with a shot in NYC - 2 people who preached peace in a generation of kids who will be best remembered for a war.

Didn’t fully understand what it meant at the time or the impact it had. Just remember my old man telling me the guy who was killed wrote a lot of those songs he played and was really famous. The next day I asked my grandfather about it and his only reaction was “never heard of him”.

 

[quantumleap]

Yep, I still remember where I was too. I was in the basement of my parent's house watching the game with my Dad. He had just put in a wood burning stove.

 

[djefferis]

Was cold as hell that winter in Ohio - I remember that.

Of course we were living in an older mobile home at the time too - so didn’t matter if it was mildly cold - it was freezing living in a damn beer can. Fortunately things took a turn for the better for my family over the years.

Just one of those events that for a generation marked a milestone. Death of a Beatle - the end of any chance of seeing them together again after a decade of rumors about reunions.

In perspective- my generations bookend milestones were probably Challenger and 9/11 - both witnessed happening live on TV for us. Generation of kids watching a shuttle explode in classrooms and then watching tower collapse while trying to figure out how the hell 2 planes collided mid air over NYC.