There are days I remember in my life better than others. Days I remember because of events outside the context of my immediate life…

January 28th, 1986:

I was in the 1st Grade our day had just started at Angwin Elementary School. We were sitting in Mr. Crow’s Jr. High classroom and right before our eyes the Shuttle Challenger exploded. It took a second for me as a 1st Grader to register that all those people had just died. I remember the older kids in the room letting out sobs and gasps and our teacher Mrs. Bernard quickly gathered us up and rushed us out of the room. I also remember my parents watching all the news coverage. Magic changed the way we as a country looked at the AIDS virus and he changed the way I looked at athletes.  I still cared a lot for the teams, but as far as the players went, if they were on my team I was a fan, if they weren’t, then I didn’t care.

So that is my jaunt down memory lane…if you came with me…well I hope you didn’t have more important things to do:)