52 Years Ago This Week
I remember those days as one long grey fog. I remember being aware, at the time, that I'd be remembering those moments forever. I was walking up the stairs to 8th period math, distracted by the level of chatter in the stairwell. Something was afoot... no one was smiling... there was something about someone being shot... and it wasn't until we were seated and the bell had rung that the assistant principal's announcement came over the loud speaker above the blackboard: Our President had been shot. She told us to bow our heads and pray for him and our country. I didn't know any Hebrew words to put to my thoughts, and I wasn't sure that G-d would be listening to my words if they came from my heart and not the prayer book, and then it was time to pretend to learn math. We didn't get very far in the book that day; school was let out early. I remember G'ma picking us up, my cousin and my neighbor and I somber but clearly delighted that school had been cancel...