Today, I sat in front of the TV for several hours, watching a man
ascend twenty-four miles above the surface of the Earth in a balloon, just so
he could reach the very cusp of outer space and then freefall back to Earth. Just think about that for a second. Did you remember that part in the Star Trek
movie where Kirk space jumps onto that giant drill thingy? That’s basically what this guy did. A space jump.
That’s definitely one of the cooler things that I’ve gotten to witness
live (albeit, not in person) in my life.
And I’ve seen some pretty cool shit in my day. I am aware that many people who have more
money and are able to travel or have simply lived longer than I, have seen even
more amazing things. But watching the
space jump today did get me thinking about things I have seen that I’m certain I will never forget. What are the top five absolute most amazing
things that I have witnessed in my life?
Here’s the list.
5. KU Winning the 2008 NCAA
Championship
Okay, so winning that trophy for the first time in 20 years was pretty
sweet, but unless you were a KU student at the time it’s impossible for me to
describe the immense pride that we, as a campus, felt that spring. First, there was the excitement of the #1
seed, then the early round play when strangers walking to class would ask each
other if they knew the current score.
The UNC game when we were up by like 25 points and then still managed to
make it a close finish. After the title
game against Memphis, you couldn’t go anywhere
on campus without seeing championship gear or without talking to your friends
and classmates about where you were when Mario Chalmers hit that shot. Everyone
remembers exactly where they were and what they were thinking when what is now
simply known as The Shot was made. That
euphoria hung around Mount Oread for quite some time.
4. The Changing of the Guard
Ceremony: Arlington National Cemetery
I could probably make a whole list of the amazing things from D.C. that
I will never forget, especially since
I was fortunate enough to go once as a student and once again as an adult
chaperone. The one thing that I was
present for on both trips was the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It is one of the most moving events you will
ever witness bcause of the precision, the historical significance and the
dedication. Those tomb guards are
outside 24/7 in blistering heat and blizzards.
They spend hours and hours preparing their uniforms for duty because the
tradition of perfection is their way of honoring the Unknowns and all the other people who have died for
our country. Youtube videos won’t do the
ceremony justice, but I’m sure there are some on there that you can watch if
you’ve never been and are curious.
Hopefully I get to go again next year, but even if I never do again, I
won’t ever forget that.
3. Barack Obama Being Sworn In
I was a sophmore in college and skipped my Fiction Writing class to
stay home and watch the inauguration.
2008 was the first election in which I voted, Obama was the first
president I voted for which automatically made the inauguration something that
I was very interested in watching. Add
the fact that we swore in our first black president in front of the biggest
inauguration crowd ever, and it was pretty freaking historic. Even though I’ve never witnessed one of these
events live, watching in on TV was still amazing. I have very vivid memories of seeing
everyone’s breath in the air, people stretched back as far as the Washington
Monument, then watching the Obama’s get out of the presidential limo and walk
down the parade street. Later that
night, I watched the President and First Lady dance to At Last by Etta
James. Really cool stuff.
2. Wedding of Prince William
and Kate Middleton
Because of the time difference, I had to wake up at like 3 am to watch
this event live and you bet your ass I did just that. I think I fell back asleep at some point
during the pomp and circumstance but when I woke up, they were replaying the
whole thing. And I watched that shit all day while they replayed it over and
over again. I know there are those who
would say (probably rightfully so) that there’s no reason for the British
people, let alone the Americans or anyone else, to care so much about the
wedding of these two people, but to that, I would respond, if you don’t care,
then don’t watch it. I love ceremony, I
love formality, I love tradition and history and everything about the most
fascinating monarchy in the entire world, so of course I was one of those dorks counting down the days until the
Royal Wedding. Hell, that was a year and
a half ago and this is still the background on my laptop.
1. The Harry Potter Phenomenon
From the time I was in 5th grade and I read the first Harry
Potter book to the year I graduated college when the final Harry Potter movie
was released, I feel extremely privileged to have been a child/young adult
during this time so I could experience one of the biggest global sensations
there has ever been. Harry Potter is
what made me become an avid reader when I was a child. It’s also what inspired me to start
writing. I’ve had some of the best times
with my dad at movie releases and midnight bookstore events, and it’s something
some of my friends and I bond over to this day.
Like I said, being young and being a part of that phenomenon has
probably shaped me in ways that I don’t even realize yet, but I’m so glad that
it did. Hopefully someday, I’ll be able
to share the same excitement with my kids.
So, those are some of the awesome things that I’ve been able to see
and be a part of in my 23 years. If my
cousin and I go to London this summer, I’ll probably have to do a whole new top
ten list that’s ALL London stuff, but that’ll come another time. What are some cool things that you’ve been
witness to?
Thanks for reading, guys!
Becky
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