| 1981, March 30 | President Reagan shot and wounded |
I was watching a news update about the day Reagan was shot and was struck by a few things…
- He looked so young. (he was 70)
- I remember how I felt at the moment it happened. I was standing in the family room, watching the news clip stunned, and was thinking this was the first “important” person I felt I knew who had been shot. I was in my first year of college.
- I am always in awe of seeing people who are trained at their job carry it out as though it is effortless. That is how it felt watching all the people around Reagan react. Truly inspirational.
In the hospital emergency room, Reagan remarked to Nancy “Honey, I forgot to duck”, borrowing boxer Jack Dempsey’s line to his wife the night he was beaten by Gene Tunney.
Reagan was the first serving United States president to survive being shot in an assassination attempt. At the end of the update, they said Reagan was given leeway for many things later in his presidency because the American people were on his side after the assassination attempt.
Sounds right.
Working Tech Mom 
He was also so loveable…a calm, self assured man.
Oh yes, I agree.
You’re all so young -it used to be that people would identify with “where were you when Kenedy was shot?” Now we’re doing the same with Reagan.
My wife works at a restaurant with people who weren’t BORN when Reagan was shot, who weren’t born when Challenger blew up, and in one particular case, who doesn’t remember the first few hours of 11-September because he was 7. Oof. Somebody pass me the Geritol, please? 😉
(Sorry, I can’t do Kennedy, I was 11 months old. My best is Apollo 11 landing on the moon. Apologies for not being a sufficiently old-enough old fart.:D )
HAHA! I work with those people, too. One day, in disbelief, I asked one of them, “Are you a Communist?” No one got the reference. I had to hang my head in shame for what our young people don’t know.
I know, I thought that too. What will our kids be remembering – I hope something more positive.
You’ve reminded me that I bought I book for my husband about Reagan that I haven’t read yet. Yay!!! New reading material.
I love watching shows about presidents after they are out of office. The edited version is so much more entertaining than watching them while they are in office. 😉
How goes the book? Let me know the title if it is one you enjoy.
I know…the historical view is always romantic in some fashion.
I was just 10 and don’t really remember much about it…but I do remember him being president most of my childhood and that he got shot…and that he shared the same name as my 6th grade teacher.
Sandi
http://www.ahhsome.wordpress.com
Hi Sandi…thanks for the visit. I bet your teacher has some good stories about making restaurant reservations!
I was in High School. I still remember that day well. They piped in the radio over the PA system for an hour or so…..and then sent us all home once they got word that the President was actually at the hospital. As you remember, the early reports were that he was fine and that he had not been struck. Your post has brought that day back to where it seems like it was just yesterday….
That’s right Mark. Even Reagan didn’t think he was shot at first, thought he was hurt when the body guard pushed him into the car.
I got off the bus (senior year of High School) and my mom greeted me, pretty shaken up. We went inside, watched what little news we could find, and ended up with the whole family eating in the living room, watching the world news. (You did NOT watch the TV, or eat anywhere but, in the kitchen – Mom’s Law. 🙂 ) I was most startled by the one Secret Service agent waving an Uzi around. I’m amazed there weren’t some civilians shot by the (understandably) agitated agents. I was stunned, years later, when I watched a documentary that revealed how close to death President Reagan actually came.
I hear you…lots of families were in a bit of shock over how this could even happen. Nice visual of your family bonding together over the dinner in the living room.