I was a 4th grader. I had gone to the lounge to get my teacher’s afternoon drink. When I got back I told her that the President was assassinated. She asked if I was making it up. I said no. She teared up, told us to stay in the classroom and ran over to confirm.
Fast forward to about 1990. I met Jack Ruby’s attorney in Dallas. Got to go to his office and see the suit and hat he was wearing the day he killed Oswald!!!
Oh wow. I was watching live TV and saw Jack Ruby shoot Oswald. It was surreal. On my first trip to Dallas, I met up with a college buddy for dinner and asked that we see the grassy knoll. It was so small.
I remember it was a Friday, because we were let off of school for the rest of the day plus Monday (and I think maybe Tue too).
At the age of eight I was quite Me-centered, and so my reaction was one of excitement. We get free days off from school! And my folks finally broke down & immediately bought a tiny B&W TV! TV, do you hear me - TV! And wow man, can you believe something like this is really happening, that only happens in the movies!
The excitement continued when I watched live as Ruby shot Oswald.
But my perspective changed from excited to somber. First, watching the funeral live. And then, the day school resumed I noticed 2 classmates - Terry & Paula - standing at the edge of the playground talking quietly together, and their cheeks were wet. I thought, "Huh? What's up with them?" And then I realized, Oh no! They're both Catholic. They really loved JFK. And this is grief & mourning that I'm seeing.
That really changed my perspective.