When History Won't Be Forgotten

1986, big hair, crazy outfits, Debbie Gibson was one of the biggest pop stars as well as Tiffany. No one really had any worries in the world. It was great. Back to the Future was still a hit and Saturday morning cartoons were still sought after. Nothing was better than waking up and seeing Mr. Whipple on the tv im the morning on his commercials. "Time to make the donuts." He would say. 

The 1980s was one of the best decades in history. We had Guess Jeans, Keds shoes, Nike, and The Brass Buckle, known just as The Buckle now. 

The eighties were a way of life. It was just easier. I mean we followed the era of the greatest race in history. The Cannon Ball Run! 

No matter what it was, someone was trying to make history. I mean David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty disappear in 1983. And in 1989, the Berlin Wall fell. It was truly a decade of major events, good and bad.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was twelve years old and in the 6th grade. It was January and everyone was showing off what they had gotten for Christmas. 

One of the guys in my class had a micro tv. Now looking back at it, our smartphones are smaller with a bigger screen. Lol. 

Anyway, his tiny tv with the six won't antenna was what everyone wanted to see. Everyone was pushing and shoving trying to see it before school started.

Finally, the bell rang as usual. He showed people here and there.  

For a few following weeks, he decided to leave it at home. Everyone was wanting to get home from school as quickly as possible. One of the greatest things in the world was going to happen. But we will get to that in a minute.

My brother and I always went home and fought over the tv controller. But this particular month, we did not. We actually agreed on what to watch and we were totally engulfed in it until we went to bed.

This was so exciting and it was getting closer to what we were all waiting for. So much so, we dreamed about it. We were getting excited. To us, it was the best thing since sliced cheese.

Finally, it came down to the day, weeks of interviews and behind the scenes had gone by. We watched as much as we could. 

That fateful day, my friend brought his tv back to school with him. We had figured out how to get a lot of us gathered around to watch. We didn't want to go in when the cell rang. So we sat there and watched. 

It was Jan. 28, 1986, and NASA was sending Christa McAuliffe, a teacher to space. We all gathered 'round this tiny tv to watch. I mean this woman, this teacher was making history. I idolized her. I wanted to be her. Space was my thing. My friends and I would all sit outside at night on a concrete slab at my house and look at the stars. What made it different now was, we would lay out under the stars on that slab and talk about her. 

That day, everyone counted with the countdown and we all cheered with each second that went by and as it blasted off. It was better than new year's and watching the ball drop. I mean this made history. We see new year's a lot, I mean there are two thousand and twenty one just in the B.C. era. 

The teachers made us go in so we asked if we could keep watching. They pulled a tv on a cart into the classroom. When we finally got the tv to the channel, we were devastated. They were playing a replay of the Challenger exploding. 

Everyone was in shock. The silence was deafening. I never understood that term until that moment. No one spoke a word for hours. It was horrifying. This teacher we all loved and adored, died. It was a solemn day for everyone around the world.

We were all in tears watching as they tried to explain what happened, but the news anchors were still in shock. They could barely talk about what was going on, but they regained their composure and did what they could. 

It was a solemn day. I think we all stayed at school until about 8 p.m. that night when our parents came looking for us. We were in such disbelief, the next few weeks were us just watching what was going on, after a few days out of school in honor of Christa McAuliffe of course. 

She set out to make history and she did, just not how it was planned.

I look back to that day often. Some things make me think of it. Like when the twin towers were attacked. 

It was a bit of the same. We just had no idea. 

My boyfriend and I had not watched tv all morning, so we decided to go buy some used movies at a pawn shop. 

We walked in and saw what was on the tv. We asked what movie it was. It wasn't a movie, the guy behind the counter said, it was really happening. 

Us, the manager, and a few others stood in place, watching what was going on, well into the night.

So many tragedies have shaped our lives today. So many that we will never forget. Hopefully, they will be passed from generation to generation so they will be remembered and so in the future, these things can be prevented.

 Like the Exxon Valdez rupturing in 1989. 

There are so many things in our history that have shaped and will continue shaping how we look at the world.

But one thing is very true. No one will ever forget the efforts and training Crista McAullife put forth to be the first teacher in space. She will be forever remembered and forever missed.