Ten Things I Remember About January 28, 1986

1. I didn't yet know hope could just explode, without a warning sing

2. But I knew Julie Paolano was the cutest girl in school

3. I wasn’t in school that day

4. I was home sick with my grandmother watching a television with the screen built into its wooden stand 

5. The flash lit the screen

6. I was naïve enough that even when the rocket burst into flames in front of my eyes, I believed it was only a test run, because it couldn’t have happened if people were on board

7. My grandmother had to tell me I was wrong

8. My illusion was not the only thing that shattered that day

9. My grandmother lasted eleven more years than the Challenger, but her demise held warning signs I had since learned to recognize

10. The warning signs failed to make the loss any easier

written January 28, 2021