As I get older, certain events of cultural, social and political significance become etched in memory, along with where I was at a specific point in time. Aka a lot of "where were you when"-type moments.
Most recently, this was when Barry Bonds hit his 756th career home run. I had just gotten off a JetBlue flight from Long Beach to Oakland and had watched most of the game on the way up; then happened to stop by a bar in the airport to see the historic at-bat. There were a lot of people standing there watching who cared; there were about the same number who didn’t, just having a pre-flight drink.
Speaking of baseball, there was also that 2004 ALCS Game 7. Late night, had to go to work the next day.
Another moment was the 2nd tower being hit on 9/11/01. I was in Phoenix and awake around too early for local time – normal for someone from the east coast. An indulgence actually, to be able to sleep in.
But the first time this occured to me was September 1995 – I was at a hotel near the Philadelphia airport for a training class when the O.J. Simpson verdict was returned.
For those of a different generation, it was when you heard about JFK or Reagan being shot. Or even the day the music died. Maybe for Gen-Y it’s when you heard Paris was going to jail.
I’m no psychologist – any thoughts on why an event does/doesn’t stick?
Most amazing to me is how YouTube helps us remember.