Each of us have moments in our life that remain frozen in time. We can remember where we were, what we were doing, and who we were with when the event happened. These memories do not fade over time; they remain as crystal clear decades later as the second they happened.
A lot of times, it's the traumatic events that sear themselves into our minds: The death of a loved one, national tragedies such as September 11, and other such things.
But there are also good times that our minds record for posterity as well.
July 20, 1969: The first Moon Landing. I was four years old, and don't remember much from that far back in my childhood.
Although I was too young to fully understand the significance of this event, what I remember most is Dad coming inside to watch the landing on TV. Dad spent most of the weekends working outside in the yard. Watching TV during the day (except for football, of course) was unheard of. Especially coming inside just to watch something on the news. So even at four, I knew that this was something special.
Landing on the Moon was the combined result of thousands of Americans working together for almost a decade, motivated by millions more Americans yearning for something good to come out of the turbulent sixties. Much of this effort was personified in Neil Armstrong, the first man to step foot on another World.
Neil Armstrong was a true American Hero. Imagine the courage needed to strap yourself into an vehicle, smaller than most cars, sitting on top of a 30-story Roman Candle, and then lighting it. In the decades that followed, he never grandstanded or basked in his own glory. Even his famous words upon landing, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind", downplayed his role and gave credit to all who made it possible.
Neil Armstrong died today. But history will forever remember this symbol of human spirit and achievement. 43 years ago, we all walked on the Moon. And today, a piece of all of us died.
