The Darkest Day

So, it’s the anniversary of John Lennon’s assassination today, if you want to call it that. Sounds too chipper to me. Anniversaries are celebrated. It’s not possible to celebrate the day Lennon was killed. I will never forget it.

My brother raised me a Beatle fan. I really had no other choice. He would let me hang out in his room with him listening to his records over and over and telling me the story of The Beatles. By the time I was four years old I had several songs memorized and he would have me perform them for his friends like a little trained monkey. . He bought me my first Beatles album when I was six. I thought the only thing cooler than my brother was The Beatles.

He called me the day John was shot and told me the news. I stood there on the phone in the kitchen bawling. Shoot, I’m about to start crying right now just thinking about. I really did feel as if I had lost a family member. In fact, the only other person I had known that had died was my grandmother and I didn’t cry too much then. She had been very sick with cancer. It just didn’t make any sense to me that someone would want to kill John Lennon. It still doesn’t. My brother gave me the Double Fantasy album for Christmas that year, and I do believe I literally wore it out.

I went home for lunch today cuz I was so tired from getting up so early. While I was resting on the couch, I flipped through the channels and came across the biography of John called Imagine. I have seen it several times before, but that didn’t stop me from watching it again. By the time is time for me to go back to work I was blubbering mess.

I feel a little silly about getting so emotional over the death of a rock star twenty five years ago, but I just can’t help it. I can’t help but wonder what music and inspiration he would have created if he had lived. And when I think about the loss it makes me cry.

I hope we all remember his words today. Give peace a chance.