Memoir
/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
Week seven is upon us! Memoir Monday has become the most rewarding thing I’ve done thus far on the blockchain and I thank you all for your participation.
For all of those who’ve regularly participated in Memoir Monday - keep going, you’re making great progress in crafting your very own life story for future generations to enjoy. Writing a memoir is an amazing accomplishment that few people will ever undertake. I can’t tell you how much I’ve enjoyed reading the entries from all across the globe. Take a moment this week to look back and celebrate what we’ve achieved together so far.
For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.
This week’s Memoir Monday question:
What's the first major news story you can remember living through as a child?
My answer:
I was born in 1971 so, aside from a few vague memories of nightly news stories of the Vietnam war and the oil crisis/gasoline shortages of the time, I was unaware of what was going on in the world at large.
The first major news story that I remember directly impacting me was on August 16, 1977 with the death of Elvis Presley. I had just turned six years old a few months before, my brother was just two.
My mom, dad, brother and I were at the Sears store at Eastland Mall in Columbus, Ohio when story came across the television sets displayed in the Sears electronics department.
Elvis was such a beloved cultural icon at that time everyone was frozen where they stood, there was a collective gasp and lots of tears. On the drive home I remember my parents talking about their memories of Elvis at that point he was famous for more than half of their lives. The shock and grief of everyone for weeks afterwards was palpable, even to me at such a young age. Now, I understand that many people probably felt a part of their youth evaporate that day.
I was familiar with Elvis because he was already a part of my life at six years of age. He had been attempting a career comeback and was on television a lot. My parents also had an enormous cabinet stereo, a relic from the 1960’s, full of old vinyl albums and 45s from their younger days. I remember being more familiar with the younger Elvis than the older version of him in the big sunglasses and sequined jumpsuits (the 1970’s were a strange time).
We’d listen to these records a lot when my brother and I were younger. I can remember Elvis’ music being in a different league than many of the other records they owned. His music had a way of triggering your adrenaline and just making you want to move, it’s easy to understand why he was so popular. His public persona was carefully crafted and there was a reason his nickname was “The King of Rock & Roll”. It seems like most women wanted to date him, and most guys wanted to be him.
With the exception of Michael Jackson (and possibly Prince and George Michael), I can’t think of many other celebrity deaths that have had such an profound impact on modern society in my lifetime. The unexpected death of Anthony Bourdain had a similar effect on me, personally, but this was just a blip in the global 24hr news cycle in comparison.
It’s a little strange to think of how a small handful of public figures got so wildly famous back then. In many ways it was a simpler, more innocent time. Famous people were put on a pedestal and worshiped to some extent.
Today’s world is vastly different, I can’t really think of any single entertainer who’s so widely admired, Taylor Swift is probably the closest I can think of. The entertainment industry and public interests in general are much more segmented into silos or genres now. I feel like there are fewer artists who are capturing the attention of the entire world in the way these icons once did. I think the public is a tad more sophisticated (or is it jaded?) now as well and don’t worship entertainers as much.
It sure was a different world back then, but was it better one? My answer to that question is in some ways yes, and in some ways no. When looking back across the decades we humans have a way of remembering the past to be better than it really was. Everything else aside, I'm very thankful I grew up when I did.
Rules for Memoir Monday Participation
- Please reblog this first post and share on other social platforms so we cast the widest net possible for this initiative;
- Pictures paint a thousand words. Include pictures in your posts if you have them;
- Answer each Memoir Monday prompt question in your own post. The prompt question will be published each Monday but you'll have the entire week to answer and publish your own post;
- Have fun with it, don't worry about getting behind, or jumping into the project at any point after we've begun; and
- Lastly, be sure to include the tag #memoirmonday.
It's that simple.
At the end of the next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.
Be well and make the most of this day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoyed reading your posts!
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