I live in the Dallas area....I have lived in the DFW area all of my life. I wasn't born yet when JFK was shot. I have visited the grassy knoll, I have seen the 6th Floor Museum at the School Book Depository Building....but it was always just sort of a "tourist" thing to do in Dallas. Sure, I learned about it in school (along with the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln), but it just always seemed like some sort of history lesson to me.
I didn't realize that 2013 would be the 50th Anniversary of a day that would change this nation's course of history (President John F. Kennedy was shot on November 22, 1963). I didn't realize how much of an impact this would be - all of these years later. I'm not sure if we (as a community) are trying to bring closure after all these years (since there is so much speculation and so many conspiracy theories about the events surrounding that fateful day) or if we just want to reflect and remember this so that we can keep it from happening again.
For the past few weeks, every news channel in town has been talking about this upcoming day. There have been special presentations on TV and Radio stations, there was an outdoor event held at Dealey Plaza in the cold and rain yesterday, and there was even a movie release about this topic recently. In fact, I watched the movie "Parkland" this week. The movie tells not only the story of JFK and Jackie, but also of the doctors, nurses, FBI agents, police that were impacted and whose lives were changed in a blink of an eye. It tells the story of Abraham Zapruter who shot the most controversial home movie ever made. It also tells the story of the Oswald family and how this day affected not only Lee Harvey Oswald, but also his mother and his brother.
It makes me sad to think of the life that was lost, of the family/friends who suffered the most, of the people who were intimately inovlved against their will in such a huge piece of history. I'm sad to think that this is a black cloud over the city of Dallas...this isn't what our town wants to be known for. It's crazy to think that your entire life can be changed in a matter of seconds.
Today is a cold and rainy day in Dallas - just like many other winter days. For those that are young and don't remember this day, spend some time learning about this important piece of America's history. For those who remember exactly where you were and what you were doing that day, reflect on the good things that have come in the years since that horrible day.
As you prepare to be thankful next week for all the blessings in your life, please remember to say a prayer for those who were affected so powerfully so many years ago.
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