proof of age - I know its off topic but...

[Kathleen Miller]

Being "trained" as a historian I have posed the question to several classes
I have taught and all answers have to do with how it affected them personally.

I remember being over at my friend's house making french fries in second
grade when news came over the radio that Elvis was dead. My friend and her
mother went into hysterics. All I could think was "who's elvis?" and "is he
really important enough to warrant the burning of my french fries?"

Same with John Lennon - had no clue who he was, but vividly remember it
because Mark David Chapman decided to assasinate him on my 10th birthday.

The Challenger, on the other hand, I sat watching with my sophomore History
class, but I would not compare the death of seven strangers to a beloved
president. Damn shame, yes, personal loss, no.

Kathleen E. Miller
Research Assistant to William Safire
The New York Times