Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Those "...exact moment..." moments

I've been home for five days straight. My daughter has been sick for two of those five days. Nickelodeon commercials are still blasting through my brain (even though I finally kicked the kid out of the living room, turned off the tv, and glued a Wiimote to her hand). But before I nearly threw my child out of the house because I couldn't stand another episode of Phineas & Ferb, she and I struck a deal: I could watch "grown-up tv" as long as it was something we could watch together. Ah, some peace and quiet and...what's that?...no laugh track, no theme songs...muahahaha!!

Turns out the only thing on tv suitable for the both of us was Romancing the Stone and Kidco (remember that movie? It's not as awesome now that I'm 32). Childhood movies that seemed so badass 20 years ago, but really aren't. Well, Romancing the Stone is still badass. So I started getting a little nostalgic, especially since I spent the good part of yesterday afternoon in tears, happy tears, and interrupting my daughter's fever-induced slumber to demand she remember this very moment.

This may very well be her first "I remember what I was doing at that exact moment..." moment. Here are some of mine:

The Challenger Explosion:
Challenger Explosion Pictures, Images and Photos
I was home with strep throat, watching As The World Turns, and totally re-thinking my future career as a teacher (as I was naive enough to believe that teachers not only needed a college degree, but also were required to spend many hours in space).

Rodney King Riots/LAPD Acquittals:
rodney king riots 000 Pictures, Images and Photos
I seriously considered how safe I would be at school the next day. And because I'm somewhat retarded, I went. I was chased down the hallway by some very large black guys who kept shouting, "Rodney King's gonna git yo ass!".

O.J. Simpson's Bronco chase:
o.j. Pictures, Images and Photos
I was on SpeAnna's porch. I remember laughing about the whole thing because, I mean, c'mon - what a dumbass!

The Simpson Acquittal:
O.J. glove Pictures, Images and Photos
I was at work with a diverse group of military personnel. White, black, officer, enlisted, male, female, civilian, young, old, traveler, employee. The moment the verdict was read aloud, there was no question how divided our building, and our country, really was. No question.

September 11, 2001:
9 11 pentagon Pictures, Images and Photos
I was like 14 months pregnant and in an absolute panic because that was my hometown. People I loved were missing inside the Pentagon. Strangers held my hand in the lobby of my hotel and tried to talk me through my stress-induced contractions. I didn't want my child born on this day. Luckily, she held out for nearly 3 more weeks.

War on Terror begins:
Bin Laden Pictures, Images and Photos
I gave birth on October 5, 2001. It was a Friday. The following Sunday, October 7th, we bombed the shizzle out of Afghanistan. My child has known exactly two days of her life without war.

The Obama Era:
Obama Pictures, Images and Photos
I didn't vote for Obama, but I'm celebrating him. The country stood together yesterday in celebration, not together in tragedy. I hope the honeymoon doesn't end too soon. It's a good wave we should all be riding right now. Sadly, I still don't see any more American flags flying in my neighborhood than I did last week. I guess it's only a matter of convenience. How sad.

1 comment:

Geekzilla said...

Yes, sad indeed. Flying the American flag or simply stating, "I'm proud to be an American" doesn't seem to be in vogue these days. It's much more fashionable to feel guilt for being an American. I, for one, am proud to be an American.