Thirty Years

John Lennon's death was one of those flashbulb memory moments of my youth. Sitting at the dining room table at my moms, her little television tuned to Monday Night Football (no idea who was playing, but it probably was the Jets or the Giants) while she cut and pinned together one of her holiday sewing projects.

Yes, I heard Howard Cosell's emotional announcement.

In August, while in Manhattan, we happened to visit this location. Not intentionally, but after leaving the Museum of Natural History, we strolled along the outer perimeter of Central Park in an effort to find a subway station to get us to Times Square.

Strangely, while the rest of the city was active and full of the sounds of city life, this corner was quiet, muted and just had a very somber vibe. It was as if it was in a little bubble of its own.

For me, what stuck with me the most about John Lennon was that he knew he was not perfect and never seemed to be full of himself with fame and fortune. Quite the opposite.


Like the man or not, he made a difference.


I don't know what impact he would have had in the past thirty years, had he lived. Based on his past, I'm sure he would have still been speaking out through song.






Comments

Kate said…
Patriots vs. Dolphins. It was on Sportscenter this morning - including the recording of Cosell and Gifford discussing if it should go on air.
Suzanne said…
Thanks. My mom wasn't a huge football fan, but if one of the local teams was on, she'd have it on as noise as she cut material.
Last night Chuck Scarborough on WNBC did a story on Lennon's death, including footage from the night Lennon died -- featuring Scarborough and Sue Simmons as WNBC anchors, as they still are today. I didn't see the report 30 years ago, I was away at college. I don't remember how I found out, but in that pre-internet, pre-cable TV world I'm sure it was done as a special report during whatever TV show we were watching that night. I do remember buying a newspaper the next day to get all the details. So sad.

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