59 years of memory

I can’t possibly remember every major event since my birth in July 1965. My first memory was winter 1967. I remember my cousin, who was 3 at the time, teaching me the right hand part to Beethoven’s Fur Elise and, when faced with a piano, can still play it. I remember in 1969,watching  very grainy news footage of the moon landing. I remember seeing Nixon resign on perhaps the same TV. I  remember Walter Cronkite delivering the news. I remember the passing of Roe vs. Wade in 1973. In Canada, in those days, the news was mostly full of stories from the states. I remember the premiere of MTV. I watched the Buggles  singing, Video Killed the radio on Star that day and thought that the kids coming up behind me are so lucky. I remember watching the Berlin wall coming down and the Scorpions singing the Winds of Change from a top the wall.  I remember when Canada had a female Prime Minister for a little while, and I think we’re way overdue for another one. I remember the Y2K worries before the turn of the new millennium, and the moment we all realized just how dumb they were .I remember the deaths of people like Elvis Presley, Leonard Cohen, John Lennon, George Harrison, Brian Jones, David Bowie, Prince,and Pierre Trudeau. I remember being moved by KD Lang’s performance of Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah at the winter Olympics in Vancouver. I remember the encouragement I felt from women leaders like Golda Meir, Indira Ghandi, Coazon Aquino, and Angela Merkel . I remember the Manson and the O.J.Simpson trials. remember the empowerment that female rock stars like, Janis Joplin, Chrissy Hind, Joan Jett, Cher, Grace Slick, Grace Jones, and Alanis Morissette gave me. I remember the feeling of sadness that accompanied Jon Stewart leaving the Daily Show and the thrill that accompanied his return. I remember both the first and the last episode of late night with David Letterman. I remember Johnny Carson’s last show. I remember the premiere episode of Saturday Night Live and Kids in the Hall and the last episodes of SCTV and M.A.S.H. I remember the Vietnam War and every other war since. I recall, with fondness, the arrest of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and the entire #MeToo/#Times Up movement, and hope it grows stronger and more powerful over time. Unfortunately, I remember the election of Donald Trump and very much hope that we don’t see another one. And, most importantly, I remember when politics was boring and what a lovely time it was . Not everything has to be entertaining.