Everyone has their memories, their recollections. A lifetime ago, really... the span of time is actually a lifetime. A generation. And its funny how you can gauge events in your own life in terms of "before" and "after." Why? Because Lennon's death was so much a turning point, at least it was for me. Why? Because from then on, nothing was ever quite the same again. Something more than a human life was lost that night. Whatever you'd want to call it. A spirit snuffed out too early, a collective dream unrealized, a sense of innocence stolen by a madman's gun. And if even if it wasn't lost completely, a major part of it was left damaged. Gone missing. All because of some messed up attention seeker. After 25 years, it still hits hard.
I was working third shift at a printing company in the south at the time... and we had all just clocked out for lunch. And after some time in the break area, some guy (a known practical joker) came back in from outside. "Hey I was sitting in my truck just now listening to the radio... somebody just shot John Lennon. Yeah they just shot his lights out." This guy was laughing, I looked up and saw him sitting there at the next table looking very smug and pleased with himself with a smirk on his face. I remember thinking - God... this is pretty morbid, even for him. So I'm telling everyone at my table, "Don't listen to him, he's making all this up." I was so sure of it, not a doubt in my mind that this was just another one of his bad jokes. Imagine my shock when I got home that morning, and it was all over the news, nearly every channel. My jaw just dropped... "Oh my God, its true." I remember that feeling.. it came with a chill and the realization that nothing would ever be the same.