Do you Remember When
When I think back to my childhood I can only recall where I was when I received the news of three major world events......
1) I was in my living room in Sudbury when JFK was shot.. (yes 4 years old)
2) I was opening up my bundle of Toronto Globe and Mail papers when the headline "KING SLAIN IN MEMPHIS" leapt out at me. I did wonder who King Slain was but of course Martin Luthor King had been shot in Memphis.
3) I was on a roof about 120th St and about 116th Ave in Edmonton thirty years ago when the news of Elvis's death came over the radio. I was part of a framing crew for TG construction and we were busy putting up the roof trusses and nailing the plywood roofboards on top.
I have no idea why I remember these events so vividly. I was not an Elvis fan. He was before my time. We all knew who he was and maybe out of 50 or 60 LP's I think I had one Elvis. But he was the generation before me. A friend of mine's mother cried all evening. The leader of the framing crew dropped his hammer in shock. To me it was not that big a deal and yet I remember it clearly.
It seems so long ago framing that house. I should try to find it the next time I am in Edmonton. (yes I live a boring life)
Elvis is clearly a marketing genius. In death or in life. If he had lived for another 10 years would Memphis have the tourism it has today with the Graceland magnet or would he just be another tired old ex star still trying to use the magic of mixing to keep it entertaining. Death made him bigger than ever, like a painting growing in value with age.
Back to the basic question---why do we remember what we remember? Its mystery
posted by hockeyman @ 4:02 PM
4 Comments:
Okay you got my attention.
Just by mentioning Elvis.
I remember I was 6 years old watching Elvis's funeral. I lived in California.
I remember alot of things. Big stuff. Trivial things too.
I remember moving back to KY and I heard John Wayne died on the motel TV. Summer 1979.
Blessings!
Weird... we were sitting at the kitchen table last night remembering all the same events and asking each other where we were. There are some things we just all remember.
I didn't know you came to TO from Sudbury!
Kim
I wasn't born when JFK and MLK died. But I was 11 when Elvis died. I walked in and my grandmothere told me that my boyfriend had died???? I liked him even if he wasn't my generation. I had my uncles' records and would sing to him all the time. I didn't cry but it was sort of a disappointment that he had passed.
I was driving down I94 when I heard the news that day...oh Elvis
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