I awakened this morning to the sounds of my husband quietly moving around upstairs breathing life into the early morning hour. A moment of thankfulness swept over me as I thought of how much I have to be grateful for. During breakfast at a small café, while sitting with my husband, Jim, I noticed an older construction worker with his elbows on the table and his hands holding up his face as he slept while waiting for his food. He was worn down from life and work with no hope of retirement until death appeared to give him the sleep he now craved. Another man was having a conversation that sounded more like an argument than a friendly chat. Profanity fueled his anger as he spoke of always having worked and now he can’t find a job. He was too proud for food stamps, but he may not have a choice if he can’t find work by Thanksgiving. My mind shifted to President John F. Kennedy. It will be 50 years on November 22nd that the youngest president of the United States and the youngest president to die was assassinated. As Kennedy’s image dominates magazine covers this month, I know that many people are wondering how different our lives would have been if he had lived out his full term? To this day I remember sitting in front of the television with my parents and sister, listening to eyewitness accounts of what happened to our president, the most touching by a choked-up Walter Cronkite as he put on his glasses to read the government’s official confirmation of Kennedy’s death. It was his solemn glance to the newsroom clock that intensified a nation’s grief before he announced that the president had died at “1pm Central Standard Time.” Six years later, when I joined Pan American Airlines as a stewardess I was surprised by the historic moments that the company had participated in throughout the world. On November 22, 1963 a Pan Am plane flew the press to Love Field Airport in Dallas, Texas. Shortly afterwards, John F. Kennedy and his entourage had arrived on Air Force One. It would be a short layover as the Pan Am crew would grab a bite to eat before their return flight with the press. When an open-topped limousine arrived, the president and his wife sat in the back seat. They would ride through Dealey Plaza and have lunch with local politicians and business people at the Dallas Trade Mart. The president was accustomed to mingling with the Pan Am crew when in the company of the press. Overseas they often stayed at the same hotel. That day the crew’s lunch was interrupted by a message to return to the airport immediately. No one questioned the captain’s abrupt announcement, but when President Kennedy returned to the Love Field Airport in a coffin, it was a chilling and solemn experience for those present. His death shocked the world. I grew up in a nation that had leaders that inspired hope, commitment to making this country great through the belief that our freedoms were the key to turning dreams into productive opportunities. I am thankful for the decades that shaped my life and I pray that the ones ahead will inspire all of us to continue to dream, to hold true to an admirable work ethic and to rebuild our lives as this nation rises to its greatness. Paula
Posted on: Sun, 10 Nov 2013 02:04:30 +0000
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