Nightmare on Elm Street = 45yrs

November 22nd 1963...

My brother, sister and I are all at home this day with the mumps
and under the care of our Grandmother.
As my Mother is in the hospital waiting to give birth to our youngest brother.
It was around 11:30 AM Calgary time and we were watching a kids show called Romper Room.
Miss Doobee (the main character), was just about to use her Magic Mirror and as was the custom, went to a commercial break.
For this mirrors back would drop away after the commercial break and then Miss Doobee’s face would magically re-appear.
She would then mention all the kids names, who were having their birthdays that day.

As they cut back from commercial, Miss Doobee did re-appear on our RCA black and white TV set.
But minus the Magic Mirror and with a very strange look on her face?
Miss Doobee then began crying and blurted out “I’m sorry children as the President was shot!”
What the heck is this??

Now the picture went to the Indian Head test pattern screen that my brother
and I watched patiently every morning, for the TV broadcast to start that day.
My brother and I, at this time just sorta looked at each other????
As this was truly strange for an adult to do but especially for Miss Doobee, who seemed so friendly
and stoic, not at all like our mother for the last 9 months.
CBC news then came on and they in turn, switched to CBS and some guy named Walter Cronkite?
Both the man and the TV network we did not know,
as Canada only had 2 TV networks, CBC & CTV at that time.

I was riveted for the next 4 days and when my Dad came home that night from his work.
I noticed that he was a little dejected, as if some relative had passed away?
My brother and I watched it all, on through to the funeral that Monday.
We were so impressed with the formalities, that we found a large toy to use as
a make shift coffin and then did our own re-enactment of JFK's funeral, drums and all.
This of course only horrified our very Anglican Grandmother, who in turn threatened us with a spanking,
if we did not stop our dis-respectful funeral march game!!!

President John F. Kennedy's assassination has stayed in my memory all my life.
I almost got close enough to visit his grave site once, when I was on my first Team H.O.P.E. training in Alexandria VA.
For on one night, on my own time, I took a bus tour from my hotel to see Washington DC and it was when we visited the Iwo Jima flag monument.
That I could see JFK's grave site eternal flame flickering not that far way, in Arlington.
So close yet so far, as the bus was about to leave and at the same time, Arlington was being locked down for the night.
So close, yet so far and the muffled drums for JFK, I can still hear, to this day...

Written by Sir Richard...
http://picasaweb.google.com/The.Bayohunter/NightmareOnElmStreet?authkey=jtSoWVMnnlI#slideshow