Many times in our collective histories, we have lived in uncertain and challenging times. Sometimes things change so fast it feels like we are a yo-yo, spinning up and down and twirling fast around. Today, I’d like to reflect on some of those times and ask you to share where you were when you heard about these tragic events.
Over the past two weekends, we have lived through two events that many of us will likely remember for our entire lives. In the midst of possibly the strangest election of the 21st century, a presidential candidate and former president was the target of an assassination attempt, which missed his brain by only centimeters. A week later, a presidential candidate withdrew from consideration.
Here are a few of the events that have stuck in my generation’s collective memory.
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Three of the most popular rock ‘n’ roll singers of the era died in a plane crash: the Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Ritchie Valens. Their deaths marked the first time my generation, the baby boomers, experienced the tragic loss of icons.
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The assassination of John F. Kennedy
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The killing of Lee Harvey Oswald on TV
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The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
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The assassination of Robert Kennedy
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The Challenger rocket explosion
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The murder of John Lennon
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Columbine
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911 and the World Trade Center
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The death of Princess Diana
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The deaths of Michael Jackson and Prince
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Donald Trump’s surprise victory in 2016
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The attempt to overturn the election on January 6, 2021
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President Biden withdrawing from the presidential race
I’m sure other generations have their moments and collective memories. I know for my parents, almost everyone in the USA remembered the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s baby, Pearl Harbor, the dropping of the bomb on Hiroshima, and V-E Day and V-J Day.
If other events come to mind, please let me know so I can include them in the list.
Why are these dates so powerfully remembered by all?
All of these remind us of our collective experience of the fragility of life. All of them were shocking and unpredictable. They had such an impact on our collective consciousness that we all permanently remember where we were when we first heard the tragic news.
What are some of the implications of these memories?
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They remind us that change is constant and that nothing stays the same.
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They help us understand that peace of mind is difficult to sustain in a world of constant change and challenge. We may seek to live in a world of predictability and stability, but these are elusive states to obtain.
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They remind us that we are one. What happens in the world affects us all, regardless of political affiliation, race, gender, religion, etc.
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They leave us in a state of uncertainty, knowing we will experience more collective tragedies but not knowing what they will be or when they will occur
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They teach us that controlling our world is a myth. We can only control so much; how things play out in our world is, for the most part, out of our control.
Regarding this election, so many unpredictable events have already occurred. We still have August, September, and October before those of us who will vote cast our ballots.
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Read all the polls you want.
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Listen to your favorite pundits.
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Flip a coin.
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Check your newsfeeds every few minutes.
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Meditate, pray, or wish upon a star
Who knows? Everything we do can to support our candidates can change things a little bit at the time and perhaps sway the outcome.
In the meanwhile, make your plans for the Fall, as you usually do.
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Get your football tickets—I’m sure my favorite team is going to go to the playoffs.
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Plan Thanksgiving; yes, you do have to invite Uncle Arnold.
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Buy your World Series tickets because your home team is bound to go all the way.
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Enroll your kids in school.
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Get your latest booster shot… or not.
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Think of all the reasons you shouldn’t climb on the roof to clear the leaves from the gutters.
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Be sure to lose those 5 pounds before the holidays
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Drink enough water to explode like a balloon
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Write your memoir
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Get in touch with your old friends
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Learn to play that Jimi Hendrix riff or master playing the Moonlight Sonata
In other words, do all those things in your life that you are sure you can control. Luckily, we are a species that, once in a while, learns from our mistakes.