My Generation's JFK Moment

Every generation has its defining moments in history where everyone remembers "where were you when...?"

For my parents, it was when JFK was assassinated. For my son, it was 9/11. For me, one of them was Jan. 28, 1986, the day the space shuttle Challenger blew up.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the disaster, and I am among the Americans old enough to remember watching the fateful flight. Well, let me clarify. I watched replays immediately after the event.

On Jan. 28, 1986, while I sat in Mr. Lake's accounting class at Luck High School, the Challenger exploded 73 seconds after takeoff, killing all seven on board and forever changing the lives of those who witnessed it.

Even though it was the mid-'80s, not every major event had live television coverage. This did, however, because it was historic before it left the launch pad. There was so much hype leading up to it because it was the first time a teacher was on board with the 6 astronauts. At that point in time, Christa McAuliffe was as much a household name as Mary Lou Retton, Tom Cruise and Madonna. Only in this case, she was an everyday person with whom we could connect.

A big deal but still not big enough we had TVs in all the classrooms. There was one on in the library, though, and someone quickly went from room to room telling the teachers the news. I don't think we got out of class early, but the next hour I had a study hall and went to the library to watch the footage. Over and over again.

On a small-ish, grainy television, you still couldn't grasp the magnitude. Did it completely explode or did it just break apart and there'd be survivors landing in a capsule somewhere in the ocean?

It was surreal. Every time we'd watch it, we somehow hoped that this time, the Challenger would make it past the 73-second mark and continue on into history for a different reason. Sort of like 9/11. Every time you saw the plane hit the tower, you think, "What? Did that just happen? Did I really just see that happen?"

The event had more of an impact, for me anyway, than the attempt on President Reagan's life 5 years earlier. Maybe because I was older now. Maybe because he survived. Or maybe because it confirmed there was just another crazy person in the world. Keep in mind that came at the end of the Iran hostage crisis. So just like today, we wondered, "What is this world coming to?"

But to see the space shuttle explode was a disturbing reality check. We grow up thinking we are this advanced, powerful nation that leads in everything – and something somewhat routine "technically" goes wrong and 7 of our citizens die? Just like that.

And on a more personal level, our teachers became human. I remember seeing our librarian cry. The tragedy had a profound impact on all of them. Christa McAuliffe was one of them, their sister. They were probably thinking, "That could have been me. Could have been any one of us."

Just like we think when tragedy strikes on any scale. "That could have been me," followed by, "Thank you, God, that it wasn't."

And bless those today who still feel the pain... who still need to heal. Amen.