We were all younger then

[mia]

By LEONARD PITTS JR.
[e-mail]

Once upon a time, on a snow-filled day when we were young, we saw a man give a speech from a podium in front of the Capitol building. Do you remember?

He had just taken the oath of office to become our president and now he faced us for the first time in that role. And he had hair, remember that? A thick helmet of brown hair. You noted it because we had learned to think of presidents as having gray hair, or none at all.

But here was this new president, this John F. Kennedy, and he had dark hair and a beautiful wife and two little kids. It was 1961 -- Jan. 20, 1961, in fact, half a century ago this week. It was the space age, the transistor age, the rock 'n' roll age; we had outlasted the troubles of the '30s, defeated the great menace of the '40s, escaped the grim, gray '50s and now, here we were, fresh and energized, embarking on this new era, ready to take on the world.

So it just felt right, just seemed to fit, on a snowy day when we were so young, to have a brand new president who was so young, too....



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/01/19/2022544_we-were-all-younger-then.html

[virgogal]

1. I certainly do remember. What a time it was. I had seen

him in November on the night before the election at The Boston Garden rally when he returned home to vote.

It seems like yesterday.

[mia]

2. That must have been exciting! I saw him once when I was in

the 3rd grade. I grew up in the DC area and was on a field trip to what must have been the Senate building. While our class was waiting for an elevator, someone wispered to me. "Senator Kennedy is right beside you." I turned and looked way up to the eyes of a smiling man.

[jwirr]

3. And we were so young.

[emilyg]

5. Yes - and full of hope and excitement.

[jwirr]

7. Maybe that us why all of this today hurts so much.

[hootinholler]

4. Well, I was 23 days old

So no I don't really remember, but I do respect the man.

-Hoot

[Contrary1]

6. I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now.

My Back Pages

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty trapped
countless fire and flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Half-wracked prejudice leaped forth
"Rip down all hate," I screamed
Lies that life is black and white
Spoke from my skull. I dreamed
Romantic facts of musketeers
Foundationed deep, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

In a soldier's stance, I aimed my hand
At the mongrel dogs who teach
Fearing not I'd become my enemy
In the instant that I preached
sisters led by confusion boats
Mutiny from stern to bow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

Yes, my guard stood hard when abstract threats
Too noble to neglect
Deceived me into thinking
I had something to protect
Good and bad, I define these terms
Quite clear, no doubt, somehow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now.

[raccoon]

8. That song got into my head, too....GMTA.....nt

[pinboy3niner]

9. I remember it well...when I was so young and full of hope...

JFK's "Ask not what your country can do for you" led me to volunteer for the draft. I volunteered for Infantry, for OCS, and for Vietnam. I was gung-ho all the way.

It wasn't until I'd been seriously wounded by AK fire in Vietnam that I began to have second thoughts. Living in the Army hospital with the other facial casualties, and the amputees, made a hell of an impression. At the time, we were still sending other kids over there to die...

[mia]

10. Thank you, pinboy3niner - for your service and for sharing

some memories. I remember the issue of Life magazine that had photos of all of the soldiers who died.