MEMORIES - FOREVER SEARED IN MY MIND BY MUSIC . . Am I the only one who has found that certain songs that were playing at certain times in my life seared profound memories into my mind? This song did just that . . The event took place in Anaheim back in December, 1971 while I was in 6th grade at Benito Juarez Elementary. The annual Christmas program took place one foggy evening that December, and following our performance, all the students that participated were shuttled down to a kindergarten class where our parents would come to pick us up. As we gathered inside the classroom chattering with excitement and being commended by the teacher in charge of us, a very excited man suddenly appeared in the doorway and yelled, Teacher, call an ambulance - a mans been hit! In a panic - all the kids in the classroom went streaming out into the circular driveway of the school while I ran down to the street and stumbled upon a surreal scene - there were shoes scattered in the middle of the street, and my father and a another man were placing a jacket over a man lying in a pool of blood on the side of the road. As my dad turned and saw me standing there he shouted for me to get away from the street and to go find my mother. I sensed in his tone that things were bad and he didnt want me witnessing this gruesome sight. As I ran back to the school my mom spotted me, grabbed and hugged me, and all the other parents breathed a sigh of relief as they located their children and confirmed that they were safe. Only later would we learn the full extent of the carnage. As it turned out, the man in the street was not the only casualty. Ironically, it was the number of shoes in the street that tipped everyone off that there were other victims to be found amidst the foggy chaos. The man I saw on the side of the street was a father whod attended the program with his two small children. Hed been carrying one in his arms and had the other by the hand as he stepped into the street to cross. A young girl driving a Volkswagen up Sunkist had not been able to see them due to the fog and plowed right into the three of them. None of them survived. Ambulances were arriving as my parents packed me and my brother into our Chrysler Newport to leave. I was sitting in the backseat completely stunned by what had just happened, and as we pulled out onto Sunkist this song came on the radio. Whenever I hear it my mind goes back to that night when - what was to be a festive holiday celebration - turned so horrifically tragic. youtu.be/-btv-7GkVk0
Posted on: Tue, 01 Jul 2014 19:38:15 +0000
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