A Chill in the Air; A first hand recollection of November 22nd

It might have been a sunny day in Dallas, but it was anything but in Milwaukee.It was cold, and overcast. Typical November day. The last thing we were thinking about was some motorcade in Texas. We just wanted to get to lunch at Leons' and back to school. They didn't let you back in until 5 minutes before the end of the lunch hour. 1:30 couldn't come quick enough. When we got to the side door of the school, we wanted in. Screw this weather!!

That's when we got the announcement that school was done for the day. That our weekend was starting early that Friday afternoon. The president had been shot! The next four days would be a blur for everyone. Even somebody 16 - with nothing more on his mind than where we're we going to hang out on Saturday. And who had cigarettes.

Almost all that anyone had to watch the presidential funeral on, including my family, was a 16" (maybe it was 18") black and white TV. Color was available, but who could afford it?

As far as teenagers, all we looked forward to was the Tuesday after that 4 day weekend, when everything was back to normal. Even going back to school was better than the constant on and on about Dallas, and Oswald, and Jack Ruby.


Four day weekends are great now. Back then though, November 22nd thru the 25th was no fun.

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