July 20, 1969

Clearly, every blogger on the planet is writing about the first Moon Walk.

But I think 1969 in general, deserves a nod.

I was almost eleven years old when man landed on the moon on July 20, 1969.
My parents made a big deal of it, and I got to stay up late to watch it. My parents were excited and so that let me know it was a big deal. I remembered thinking, "I thought we did this already." Such is the jaded mind of a ten year old. But then again, the TV had brought so many astounding events into our homes is it any wonder?

Vietnam was a daily dose of reality on TV during the dinner hour. My father's cousin was killed there and that made it more real. I had nightmares about war machines in the sky. The first troop withdrawls of American Soldiers were sent home that summer. But sadly Americans didn't welcome them home or treat them as heroes as we do our soldiers today. They were twice, the victims of an unpopular war and were treated badly. (Years later it still pains me to hear a beau recall his personal experiences upon returning to the U.S. after serving his country.)

Mary Jo Kopechne was killed at Chappaquiddick, which once again brought the Kennedy family back into the forefront with another scandal and tragedy.

The Tate and LaBianca murders happened that same summer. It affected me so much that I recently made a pilgrimage to CA to see the La Bianca and Tate homes and even Ms. Tate's grave. (The Tate home has since been demolished.) I recalled the graphic memories as I stood by Ms. Tates grave and shivers crawled up my spine. So very sad.

The REAL Woodstock happened that summer. The day after my 11th birthday, which really made it stand out in my mind. I remember watching the Woodstock hippies on TV and thinking how cool those teenagers were. (How could I have known that my future ex-husband and father of my children was somewhere in that rain-soaked, pot-smoking, hippy crowd?)

John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their 'Bed In' along with a solo which pretty much meant that the Beatles were probably going to cease to exist. I think the Beatles made their last public appearance sometime that year on the roof of Abbey Road Studios and that was pretty cool too.

Even the Gay Rights Movement was born as TV covered the riots in NY.

All these grown-up events in the same year that the Brady Bunch came on the air. (And at that time who could have guessed that the Brady Bunch dad was Gay?)

Although it didn't happen in '69, The Jackson Five were soon to make their TV debut in 1970 which I also remember. I was absolutely amazed to realize that Michael was the exact same age as I was. (Born in August of 1958.) I remember the exact moment I learned this fact, hanging out with my then best friend Sue and playing Jackson Five records in her bedroom.

(Who could know in a few dozen more years, he would have invented his own Moon Walk, and come to such a tragic end?)