It was 45 years ago today

Looking through some boxes today, I ran across this note.

In the intervening years I'd forgotten that I wrote about events on that terrible day.

A pretty cold account, but then I never did feel safe writing about my feelings, not until about 1999.

I was in the 7th grade (yes, at age 11), and I remember being upset not only by the news and the teacher's tears, but also by the trembling voice of our principal, coming over the intercom into our classroom.

Fellow students, especially those whose parents had supported Kennedy's election, were hysterical. My parents were far right-wingers and fervent supporters of Barry Goldwater in the 1960 election. I knew I was supposed to be upset at the assassination of our President, but it took me a while to get there while I kept thinking that this might make my parents happy.

Yikes.