I was six years old on that day. I lived in Dallas and remember clearly the collective horror people felt that the killing happened here.

Walking on the sidewalk from school where I learned of the event, I could see in every face I peered into that there was a burden that would have to be shouldered from now on. A strange guilt by association.

My limited knowledge of civics left me uncertain there could be any Presidents after this one was taken away.

When I got home, my mother was crying. It is ironic to read about how extensively the event was televised because in our house the television was not allowed to be turned on for two weeks.

It was my introduction to a limit of experience. One can only take in so much and then you are done.

I was a sophomore in high school and we had just dressed out for gym.  We had to wear this ugly blue one piece short suit with elastic around the legs like a bubble suit for a baby. One of the teachers came in the gym and whispered to the girls coach something.  She then went over to the other side of the gym curtain to talk to the boys coach.  Our coach told us to go back and get in our street cloths.  She gathered us up at the bleachers and told us and we sat there the rest of the period crying and talking about it.  Over the PA we were told to go to our home rooms.  We spent the rest of the time watching the TV that had been pulled out of the closet until the buses came.  The country was in a crises my parents even came home early from work. 

We spent the next several days watching TV.  We didn't go back to school until after the funeral.  The Scottish Black Guard Bagpipes had been in town for a concert the day before the shooting.  My choir teacher had attended and told how spectacular it had been.  I also had a girl friend who parents had gone. The Black Guard left and marched in the funeral. I had not remembered this until someone brought it up on Kos.  That triggered that memory.  I knew this person was talking about my home town.  

I remembered how the broadcasters were so dignified with the coverage over the days following the assignation.  The speculation was there as to why but we all knew it was speculation.  I remember the plane leaving Dallas and the speech that Johnson gave at the tarmac.  That speech was quickly written by Lady Bird's secretary who had been with them on the trip.  I can't imagine the media today doing the top journalistic job that was done then.  The wall to wall coverage of the funeral was just with broadcasters explaining who was who and what was happening.  There wasn't any opinions and talking heads jumping in front of the cameras.  The only time they cut away was for a quick few seconds for station identifications. We did see the nightly news casters on the street during the events but only to fill in what had happen for those just tuning in.  They didn't have instant replay in those days and that was the job of those who were covering to go back over what had happen.  

The weather had been over cast and dreary that whole week end. I remember going with my mother to get the Thanksgiving turkey that weekend and that everyone working in the grocery store wearing black arm bands.  In those days the cashiers wore uniform dresses and the guys in white shirts with white boat shaped caps. The flags flew half mask and many buildings had black drapes over the doors or in windows. The TV's in Montgomery Ward were all turned on and people standing in front of them stopping and watching the news coverage.  I don't remember why we stopped there.  I remember the day after Thanksgiving I took a bus down town with my girl friends to window shop and see the department store decorations.  This was something we did every year growing up.  The town was still draped in black and the major department stores had devoted a window to JFK there was still black arm bands on in some stores or JFK buttons in a black ribbon rosettes.  I can not imagine the greedy retailers still draped in black today for the kick off of Christmas shopping.

This with the Cuban missile crises the year before really had an effect on me.  I became very interested in politics and international affairs.  I was a fan of LBJ the rest of the time I was in high school.  He signed the civil rights bill during the time I was taking a Civics class that was required.   I stayed a loyal liberal all my life.