From JFK to Barack Obama

Quote of the day

 Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans ... John F. Kennedy

Yesterday, I visited the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. Along with a number of other people from all over the nation, we wandered through the exhibits listening and looking through the history of John F. Kennedy's 1000 days as President. My friend Mira accompanied me, and as we walked through the winding hallways, our audio guide told us the story of a young charismatic man who connected with people and inspired them to change the world. Looking at the photographs and hearing Kennedy's speeches, I could not help but think of Barack Obama and this great election. It was deeply moving. Indeed, we are living through one of those great historic moments of time. One that will be looked back to in the future just as Mira and I did, along with tens of others yesterday in the Sixth Floor Museum. At one point, I was standing by the very window that Kennedy's assassin had prepared to fire his gun, looking down on the very road, opposite the famous "grassy knoll," that the motorcade had passed. Tears welled in my eyes and a lump rose into my throat. Suddenly, I noticed another young woman standing at my side. She was wiping tears from her eyes. We stood close to one another in silence, wiping tears together. From that point on, we wandered through the rest of the exhibit quietly together, stopping to listen and pore over the photographs, now and again wiping tears from our eyes - almost at the very same moment.

As we rounded the last corner, we came upon three or four memory books where visitors are encouraged to write their feelings or memories after experiencing the exhibit. In the last book, there were still some empty pages left for us to write our own. I read through a number of the pages and discovered that everyone was writing almost the same things that I had been feeling. The similarity of the moment. The hope and inspiration we were all feeling with the election of President Obama. It was amazing to me. Wiping more tears away, I wrote down my own version of the experience I had. My heart and mind were filled to overflowing with gratitude that I was able to participate in our own time, our own moment in history, our own healing after the pain of so much past history. 

Mira and I were overwhelmed with emotion. At one point, as we were reading the quote from Kennedy's Inaugural address: Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans, we spontaneously turned to each other and slapped our palms together in a "high-5" sign. Our faces were beaming, eyes brimming with tears. We went down the elevator to the museum gift shop and bought all sorts of memorabilia. I love my fridge magnet that Mira bought me, with yet another timely and timeless Kennedy quote, so very suitable for this, our own moment in time: 

And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.

Comments

[tamarika]

Hello Kay and sky,
I hear your worry. It surely sits at the back of all our minds, i should imagine. But, I find that thinking about that prevents me from enjoying this truly wonderful moment in our history. Let's go day by day and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! We deserve it.

[sky]

reading your post brought up the worries kay refers to. scary to consider the violent, unstable people in this world.

i am not sure i could walk through dealey plaza. that day is still so real in my mind. i happened to be in the library at my high school. at lunch we could listen to the television which was on. walter cronkite's face came on the screen, voice cracking, pain moving throuh his body like disbelief began to move through mine - until horror took its place.

we so much need this man to care lovingly for our country and for us right now. we need to be healed in all ways from the past 8 years. i want him to remain healthy and able, ready to share his amazing energy and light. the prayer that i will put out into this universe is that he is always kept safe.

[Kay Dennison]

Yes, it's shades of good man who died for his country. I am concerned with what I am seeing from the neocons (I won't call them conservatives because true conservatives aren't like that and I know that Barry Goldwater would be ashamed) in the media -- more venom; no easing of nastiness and hate messages -- and I am worried for Obama. The continued hate could incite some things I don't even want to think about.