A short history of my history

I could not even believe it this morning when I opened the paper and the caption on a photo informed me that it has been 10 years since the bombing in Oklahoma City. I remember sitting in my debate class my sophomore year and watching the footage on the classroom TV (the kind that were bolted up really high on the wall), and it does not feel at all like it was ten years ago.

This got me thinking about the ways I remember very tragic or momentous events in history. I think the earliest one I remember was the Challenger exploding...I was maybe in second grade. Mostly I remember seeing all of the flags lowered to half-mast, and I remember asking my mom why they were like that. Then I have these sort of fuzzy images in my head of seeing footage of the Berlin Wall coming down.

I'm sure there are others I'm glossing over, but memories don't exactly come back chronologically, so there you go. I also remember watching the David Koresh compound burn to the ground...a mere 40 miles or so south of my home. There had been so much media surrounding the ATF agents and such in our area, but I think no one my age really paid any attention until the fire started.

Funny how history is really so personal...I think about my reactions, where I was, etc. more than what happened and why it was significant. I don't know if this was because I was quite young then (not that I'm so old and mature now!) or because in the end all of the stories are about how they affected you and those around you. I wonder what will be personally significant to me ten years from now? I can already think of a few, we'll see if they pan out.