We were in class when the Teacher rushed out of the room and vanished.
It was a lady teacher, but I don't remember her name.
She did not return and I suppose at first we were all a little rowdy. 6th grade.... kids at that age rarely miss a chance to make some noise, pass a few notes, giggle a little bit and just be silly.
I expect that at some point the running feet and sobbing in the halls and the electric atmosphere of shock and horror got through to us little hellions though. I don't think the teacher ever came back. I don't quite remember, even though I can picture clearly just where my desk was situated and which side of the Hall the room was on and where the door was..
And I remember the announcement coming over the PA system.
About what had happened. Oh, my God, NO! It couldn't be.
But it was.
School dismissed.
Go home to a different world than the one you Left that morning when you left behind the dregs of cold cereal to make the bus.
I remember going home that day, turning on the TV, and sitting in the family room, which is now my parents's office, and watching the rest of the day instead of going out to play.
I don't remember much else though.
After all it was 56 years ago.
And I will bet every single one of you who was alive then and old enough to be aware of your world remembers exactly where you were and what you were doing the day President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and the world was never the same again ever.
