One of those defining moments where people can often remember where they were when they heard the news.
I was in 3rd grade and I was delivering a message from my teacher to the principal's office. While I was walking through the halls I passed by the school library that had a TV on showing the launch. There was a small crowd around the TV and thought I'd take a look since I was excused from class. I got to the TV shortly after the explosion happened and the pieces were raining back down from the sky. The TV announcers were still speculating as to what happened and one of them mentioned that it looked like the shuttle exploded because there was no visible sign of the craft at all.
I delivered my message and went back to class. When I walked in I told my teacher that the space shuttle exploded. She told me that was a horrible thing to say and sent me back to my desk. About 15 minutes later an announcement came over the PA system to the whole school to meet in the gym, where they told us what happened and had a TV setup for us to watch the news. My teacher later apologized to me.
I was in science class... watching it live on a video feed. There was a teacher on the Challenger, so it was a big promoted deal to watch an average everyday teacher go up into space...
Except I was frosh in High School. I left class to take a message to the main office and I took the long way. Went past a classroom with a few friends that were older than me and everyone was standing around the TV. I knew the shuttle was going up but... They all motioned for me to come in and see(even the instructor). A moment burned in my brain. Maybe also be that as child I was on the launch pad 3 days before the 1st flight. Impressive sight(yes, I'm that old).
And I also saw the test flight of the 747 & Enterprise piggy-back glider landing.
I was so lucky.
'Nuff said
Pessimist: Oh, this can't get any worse!
Optimist: Yes, it can!
I had just gotten home from Kindergarten and was watching Chuck Woolery hosting Scrabble when they interrupted the show for a special news update. I remember how quiet and somber the reporters were and the puffy white clouds of explosion. It's funny how I really don't remember a whole lot about specific days in Kindergarten, but that one day always stands out.
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I am just a worthless liar.
I am just an imbecile.
I will only complicate you.
Trust in me and fall as well.
I guess I would have been in the third grade, we were in class and the principal came over the intercom to make the announcement. I remember a girl asked me if that was the flight that had the teacher on it, and I told her no, I thought the teacher was going up sometime the following year. Yeah, guess I was wrong about that.
I was in 4th grade. I don't recall how it went down (how they told us) It might've been over the PA system, I just remember our class had to go into another class room to watch what happened on T.V. And there it was.
> I was in 4th grade. I don't recall how it went down (how they told us) It might've > been over the PA system, I just remember our class had to go into another class room > to watch what happened on T.V. And there it was.
I believe I was in 4th grade too, and as I remember it I was in "Young Astronauts Club" (look it up) and members were called out of class to watch the launch. For maximum disappointment. Or something. My long-term memory is actually piss poor.
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