Some thoughts on my Facebook friends

By Jeff Orvis

Let me start by saying I really like Facebook. Those of us who live alone and have plenty of time on our hands appreciate the opportunity to communicate with a lot of folks any time of the day or night. Years ago, our grandparents often relied on the telephone, especially if they were on a country party line, to keep up on the opinions and news affecting folks they knew.

I am proud to admit that I have over 200 Facebook friends. Many of them are from my childhood. A few are from my years in Independence and one of the reasons why I chose to move back to Belle Plaine is the fact that many of my Facebook friends live here.

I've discovered that more than a few of my friends don't necessarily share my political beliefs. Most of their posts are civil. But a few are troubling. One thing I've learned over the past few years of daily interaction on Facebook is that you should still think before you type. It's been well documented that potential employers often check the posts of their prospective employees to gauge how they might act once they are on the payroll. Since some of my friends are still in high school or college, I wish they would think twice before they hit the "send" button on their posts.

Some of the more off-the-wall posts and thoughts also come from folks who are my age. I freely admit that I am a proud liberal Democrat. I believe that the election of Barack Obama dragged this country kicking and screaming into a new era of governing. If you are objective, you might realize that he has made some mistakes during his tenure. But not all of the things he's been accused of are his fault. The moment the last election results came in, there was a growing faction of people in this country who simply could not stomach the thought of an African-American president. The fact that he is a Democrat has undoubtedly helped the sale of Pepto-Bismol for some folks.

Some of the Facebook posts have really taken a turn toward the ugly. Today I noticed a post of photos of a serene-looking Jackie Kennedy alongside a picture of Michelle Obama, probably taken at a school rally, where she has her arms raised and it looks like she's leading a cheer. The clear message seemed to be that first ladies are supposed to be seen and not heard, at least not in public.

Those of us who supported President Obama realize that we elected a team. Michelle has been a champion of combating childhood obesity. She and her husband have also tried to be models of what a family, especially an African-American family, should be about. The President has said on several occasions that young men should take responsibility if they father children and not abandon them.

Back when Obama first ran for president, I wished that we might elect a first lady separate from the president. I knew that we were entering an era where the first lady would be an unofficial ambassador for the administration. During the primaries, Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack mounted an early campaign for the presidency. He had a lot of good traits and has subsequently been a good agriculture secretary. But even if Vilsack was not going to be the president, I would have voted for his wife, Christie, for first lady. I spoke to her a few times when she came to Belle Plaine in the year 2000 as a part of a literacy campaign. The passion she showed for Iowa Stories 2000 made me think that she would be an awesome first lady.

Then I got to witness Michelle Obama. Her energy, sense of humor, compassion and intelligence quickly made me realize that she would do a great job in the White House. Unfortunately some folks, including some of my Facebook friends, don't realize this. Some probably hoped and prayed we would never elect anyone but a white, male, Republican president. And this "ideal" candidate should also have a wife who dresses nice, smiles and is not very often quotable.

Not all of my radical Facebook friends are on the right. One guy, one of my oldest friends, has a clearly different view. Over a couple of good beers awhile back, he said, "I'm convinced Republicans are evil!" While I realize that some of the more prominent members of that party are often easier to laugh at for their bumbling statements and a few are outright dangerous in their views of how this country should be run, some of my Facebook friends post some very intelligent arguments in support of their positions. Not all Republicans are evil, just as not all Democrats are champions of a socialist, welfare nation.

One recent ad on Facebook asked what the Republicans need to do to regain Congress and the White House. Although I really hope that won't happen, I have some thoughts on what the Grand Old Party should do to be relevant and prepared in the event they do regain control. But that's for another blog at another time.

For now, thanks for reading!



 

Thoughts on Sochi and the Beatles

By Jeff Orvis

There are no apparent links between the Winter Olympics and the Beatles, but there are times when my jumbled thoughts have to be sorted out. So here goes.

As I watched the Grammy honors of the Beatles last night, I could not believe it's been 50 years since those four young men with long hair hit our TV screens. Music has not been quite the same since that night.

At the time, many of us probably didn't realize that we were witnessing the phenomenon that would change our music world. Mom and Dad were big music fans. While Mom seemed to lean toward some show tunes and a lot of religious music, Dad had an extensive jazz record collection. As I recall, I was only about 10 years old in 1964. I don't remember what my sister, who is two years younger, was doing that night. At age eight, she might have been a bit too young to be a rock music fan. I seem to recall that Dad walked through the living room, shook his head and retreated to his basement workshop. Mom seemed transfixed by the performance.

I didn't become an instant Beatles fan. But I eventually realized that we had them to thank for what became known as the "British Invasion." Thanks to them, I soon bought my first rock album and became a fan of Herman's Hermits. Anybody else remember "I'm Henry the Eighth I Am?"

Something else I just thought of as I watched the show last night was that this country was less than four months away from the tragedy of the assassination of President Kennedy. Perhaps nothing had drawn the attention of the television viewing audience since Nov. 22, 1963 until that night in early February.

A lot of those who make their living in show business hope to make a lasting impression on the public. We certainly didn't realize it way back in 1964, but the Beatles left an incredible impact on the music world that certainly endures to this day. Sunday's show, perhaps a candidate for an Emmy, reminded us how much we owe to the remaining living members of that mop-haired quartet. For that, I thank you Paul and Ringo.

******

Since Friday night, when we weren't watching the Beatles tribute or college basketball, many of our TV sets were tuned to coverage of the Winter Olympics from Sochi, Russia. Every four years we are reminded that there are hundreds, if not a few thousand, athletes and coaches in our country who devote their lives to superior athletic performance. Every four years, the world gets a glimpse of the results of their work.

We might get up each morning and go to the office, store, restaurant or other places of employment. A chosen few get up before dawn and lace up their figure skates or go to the weight room or the ski slopes or luge or bobsled course speed skating rink or even the nearest curling center.

The same discipline is displayed for those who compete in the Summer Olympics. We will get to see them in 2016.

Only the best of the best qualify for our Olympic teams. For only a few days they have an opportunity to try to make a lifetime of memories. The world's best athletes deserve at least livable accommodations as they chase that dream. Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the way this Olympics is being staged.

The world's best athletes may not expect to be housed in royal palaces. But they should be able to expect at least a clean bed, hot shower and healthy food during their days of competition. Much has been reported on the conditions that athletes, media and fans have faced in Sochi. The countries that host the Olympics usually realize that the whole world is watching and trying to learn something about an area that people might like to visit at a later time. Despite a reported $51 billion spent on venues, hotels and security for these games, what they will be remembered for is unfinished hotels, unsanitary conditions, etc.

NBC has tried to spotlight the good points of Sochi. It looks like it was a very nice place before the Olympics invasion began seven years ago. I'm afraid that if the network is allowed to visit the area six months from now, they will find hundreds of thousands of square feet of abandoned buildings.

Let's hope the International Olympic Committee will learn from this debacle. There are plenty of examples of recent Olympics in this country, but also in Canada, Austria and numerous other countries where the residents and the government welcomed the opportunity to show off for the world.

Today's question: What's your favorite movie?

By Jeff Orvis

What's your favorite movie?

A few days ago, Dan Patrick posed that question as a poll question during his nationally syndicated radio-TV show. His team, called "The Danettes," gave a choice of "The Godfather" and "Goodfellas" or "the field." The way the question was posed was probably understandable, since most of Patrick's audience is probably male. But a lot of folks surprisingly chose "the field" and I have to say I was one of them.

I have to admit that I am probably not qualified to say much on motion pictures. It's been years since I walked into a movie theater. I don't even remember the last film I saw, but it may have been "The Aviator," starring Leonardo DiCaprio. What I remember of that experience was that despite the fact we saw it in the afternoon, it took me several days to recover from the shock of the cost of admission and concessions.

So we've already covered one reason why I don't go to many movies - cost. I'm a big fan of free TV. I also have a good cable TV subscription and Amazon Prime, where many movies are available for no additional charge. I can simply sit in my recliner, without shoes on, munching on a 40-cent bag of microwave popcorn and watch what I want. There's no threat of somebody behind you talking throughout the movie, kids crying or cell phones buzzing at the climax of a dramatic scene.

There was a time when I was a lot younger when I did see movies in the theater. When I was in junior high, we lived about five miles from downtown Davenport. Sometimes in the summer time, Mom would take a leap of faith and allow me to join a couple of my friends on a walk down to the city bus stop and on into the city, where we would have lunch at Bishop's Buffet and then catch a matinee at either the RKO Orpheum or the Capitol Theater. When it was over, we'd retrace our route and be home in time for supper.

Sometimes we would go as a family to the movies. My dad, who didn't seem to enjoy vocal music that much, took us to see "The Sound of Music" twice in one week at the Coronet Theater in uptown Davenport. Maybe he had a secret crush on Julie Andrews. They recently interviewed the former owner of the theater who explained how he remodeled the inside in anticipation of showing that film and how opening night had a line of viewers out to the street.

In those days, there were far fewer movies produced and they had a much longer shelf life in the theater. Those of you who have seen me will find this hard to believe and I only mention it to point out how long some movies lasted. But I can remember going to see "Love Story" at least four times with four different girls. True confession time, I think I cried more than they did...still do when I watch it on TV.

I can only remember a couple of drive-in movie experiences. When I was in college, a carload of friends went to see "The French Connection." But we were more interested in the bottle we took with us. Still don't know how we ever made it back across that narrow twin bridges to Bettendorf! I saw "Butch Cassiday and the Sundance Kid" at a drive-in another time. But (bragging time here) it was raining, my date was scared of thunder and it took me 20 years later to actually watch the whole movie!

Years earlier, we often stayed with my Aunt Sara in Milan, IL. She lived in a big yellow house across the street from the old Memri Drive-in. From her kitchen window, we could see the screen. But one night she shooed my sister and me away and pulled the shade when they showed what would be termed an R-rated movie today!

We could have never imagined back then that there would come a time when so many movies would be produced each year and earn so much money so quickly at the box office. There is such a rush to cable and DVD for the films that it's hard to keep up with what's available. I have friends and relatives who own hundreds of movies. But with so much available each night on TV and with my shorter attention span, I don't often devote two hours at a stretch of my life to a movie. When I do, it's often a great experience, so I hope they keep making them and keep putting them out there. Some day I'll turn away from NCIS reruns to watch more feature films.

So what would I pick for my favorite film? I can't settle on just one. I admitted earlier that I paid to see "Love Story" four times, but it was much more for the company I was with than the movie. Since the question was posed on a sports call-in show, I'd have to list such films as "Friday Night Lights," "Brian's Song," "We Are Marshall" and "Rudy" as a few of my sports favorites. 

Opinions to make you think or make you mad

By Jeff Orvis

These winter days when you don't feel like going outside, there's plenty of time to think. Admittedly, I often turn off the deep thought process with a TV show or a hot game of Bejeweled on the computer. But sometimes the thoughts return and are stored in my little brain until it's time to unload. You won't agree with everything you read below, but I hope there are enough pronouncements to make you stop and think.

I'm convinced that Facebook is a wonderful invention. Twenty years ago, if you had told me that there would come a time when I could reach over from my recliner, type a few characters on my computer and instantly be in contact with over 200 friends and family, I'd have been a bit skeptical.

One thing I've learned from gaining and communicating with folks on my friends list is that there is a wide array of beliefs, especially political beliefs. I have one good friend who is convinced that "Republicans are evil." I also have friends who routinely post that Obama is the "worst president ever." Full disclosure here, I registered as a Democrat when I transferred my voter registration to Benton County. But since several of the people on my friends list clearly lean to the right and I know these are otherwise good people, I would never call them "evil." On the other side, those who believe that Obama is the "worst president ever," have very short memories. They somehow have magically forgotten all about the guy that Obama replaced.

I can only hope that those who hate our current president don't have those feelings out of racial motivation. But I fear that at least some of them won't be comfortable until a Protestant male is back in the Oval Office. That thought comes from from the fact that many of these same people have already jumped on the bandwagon who think Hillary Clinton would be even worse than Obama. So maybe a few who hate our current president are also afraid that one day we will elect a female president.

Health care - The hot topic of the day is the government's attempt to insure that everyone has health coverage. The pitfalls and accompanying critics have been well documented.

I had a conversation with a friend who traveled throughout Europe several years ago. She said the residents of some of those countries couldn't believe we have the health care system we do. They receive government-sponsored health care and the people she spoke with were very satisfied.

The way we deliver health care in this country and the way we pay for it is out of control. Those that detest Obamacare have listened to the for-profit insurance companies far too long.

I believe that health care is a right, not a privilege. I also believe that we need tighter control over malpractice awards. Young men and women who wish to enter the health care profession should be able to receive free education. Their income would ultimately be lower than it is now for many physicians, but they would no longer be liable for malpractice insurance or college loans.

Once again, when we  need to go to the hospital for appendicitis, we aren't shopping for a new car. Health care is a right, not a privilege or luxury.

On to lighter topics - We are right in the middle of the basketball season. Every night, we have a choice of several college or pro games on the tube. Many of these players are covered with tattoos. I've noticed that when some players have great games, they are interviewed right after the game. Has anyone noticed that those players with few or no tattoos are often more articulate than their heavily-inked teammates?

In a few weeks, the NCAA tourney will begin. During the early rounds, we will have a chance to watch teams such as Stanford, Northwestern and some of the Ivy League schools, schools with higher academic entrance standards. You won't see many tattoos on these players and most of them speak in literate, complete sentences. Coincidence? I don't think so.

One more sports thought - Most of us have at one time or another heard the phrase, "He's just a big dumb football player." From what I've observed over the years, nothing could be further from the truth. While I never played the game, I've been around plenty of high school players over the years and have seen and heard thousands of college and pro players perform and interviewed.

The game of football seems more complicated than ever before, especially on the college and pro level. There's plenty of pressure on college players to maintain an academic eligibility while honing their skills on the practice field and trying to have time for at least a little social life. The pro players have to study complicated playbooks and compete on a weekly basis for playing time or just for a spot on the active roster for the next game.

The biggest guys on the field are usually offensive linemen. They're the ones who the uneducated fan might think aren't too smart. In reality, they're often some of the smartest players on the field. They have a tough job, knowing who and how to block depending on the play. Some of the top offensive linemen went to schools like Stanford, Northwestern, etc. Some of them are the most articulate when being interviewed and and some even forego the temptation to plaster tattoos over their bodies. Coincidence? I wonder...

Miracles not confined to Christmas

By Jeff Orvis

Merry Christmas! Yes, here is one proud liberal who is not ashamed to say those words this time of year. While I know there are millions of people around the world who follow a different faith or no faith at all, by saying “Merry Christmas,” I am doing my small part to profess my faith without jamming it down the throat of anybody else.

End of political statement.

This time of year, many people expect a “Christmas miracle.” Sometimes you wonder if God is saving up all his miracles for this season. In truth, I believe God performs miracles every day, whether we realize it or not.

 As I was wondering what to write for this holiday message, I thought about reviewing what has happened in my life this past year. But then I decided that might seem a bit selfish. But a couple of events did occur that had some impact on me, though only in a passing way.

There are two families who are undoubtedly thanking God for miracles that happened to their loved ones prior to the height of the holiday season. But as they gather together at their respective homes, they undoubtedly will look across the room and be thankful that their loved ones are still with them.

A few weeks before I moved back to Belle Plaine, I learned of a strange illness that hit Charles Johnson. For those of you who may not be from the Belle Plaine area, it's hard to describe Charles in a paragraph or two. A big, strapping man with an ever-present smile, Charles has always been quick with a hearty “Hello.” It usually takes only about 10 seconds to realize that this guy is your friend.

He came to Belle Plaine and married a woman who has four of the most beautiful, intelligent and gifted daughters I've ever met. That he would join a family of five females tells you something about his patience. Together he and Karen raised these young women, saw them through school, college, career starts and relationships that have led to marriages and some grandchildren.

Charles seems most comfortable outside. Maybe that's why he has been such a find for the city of Belle Plaine, where he has been the parks superintendent for several years. But he is also a spiritual man and several years ago, he made the decision to study for the ministry. Upon completion of his studies, he became the pastor at the Chelsea Methodist Church.

One morning this year, Charles said he woke up and experienced some ever-increasing symptoms of what was first thought to be a stroke. It turned out to be a virus that rendered him frustratingly inactive for several days. Fast forward a few months and after a hospital and rehabilitation unit stay, he is physically back to his old self.

That was one of two miracles I experienced. A week or two after I had moved back here, I happened to pass Franklin Park, where I saw Charles' pick-up truck. I stopped and he met me with a big bear-hug and that hearty hello. He explained what he had been through and also informed me that he was not only back in the parks, but back in the pulpit at his church. Talk about a “Praise God moment!”

The other miracle involves a man whom I met just once. But we have corresponded via e-mail a few times and to say he has been a professional inspiration to me would be an understatement.

For more than 65 years, Bill Wundram has been on the staff of what is now the Quad-City Times. For those of us who hope we can retire after 30 years, when we read about someone who has worked in the same profession for more than 65 years when he is well into his eighties, that's a true inspiration.

After doing just about everything on the editorial side of the paper over the years, Bill has settled into a spot on Page Two, where he writes a column most days of the week. For those of you who were familiar with my Ramblings columns over the years or who enjoy Jim Magdefrau's column in the Star Press Union each week, Bill does the same sort of thing. But his audience is just a little bigger – probably more than 300,000 loyal readers. But he often writes about the small stuff that makes life worth living.

So it was with a bit more than a little concern when readers read a notice in the paper that Bill was “taking some time off.” Finally, he returned and told us what happened.

He and his wife were out eating brunch one morning in celebration of their 61^st wedding anniversary when he was struck by a migraine headache. He wasn't too alarmed, until it kept getting worse and his wife took him to the local hospital. It was there that he was diagnosed with a stroke. By the time the diagnosis was made and the neurologist had arrived, the time frame for administering that drug that is supposed to stop the symptoms had passed. It was only through the insistence of Bill and Helen's son that he was given the injection anyway.

As he later wrote, by this time, he had lost most ability to speak and begged his wife and son not to let him go on living if this would be the result. For some reason, despite the delay in administering the drug, it began to work. By the next morning, when his wife returned to his bedside, he was again speaking clearly and was well on the road to recovery. In fact a few days after his release from the hospital, he was already attending a benefit gathering at Davenport's Outing Club and claims that he is well on the way to dancing the jig again!

So that's my second “Praise God” moment. I'm happy to share it with his family and the thousands of readers who think of Bill as a friend.

Sometimes at this time of year, we get caught up in a lot of preparations. Then we may feel guilty for the bounty we have when we hear about those less fortunate. Maybe one way to deal with this is to try to recognize one or two miracles that have occurred in your life and give thanks to the One responsible.

Have a Blessed Christmas and Wonderful New Year!

A different view on the holiday shopping frenzy

By Jeff Orvis

Gray Thursday, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday. Here it is a couple of days after the initial madness of the holiday shopping frenzy. These are the times when I am somewhat grateful for living on a limited budget. Most of the members of my family who will be getting presents from me already have more material possessions than I do. I'm not complaining. I celebrate their good fortune and at the same time am thankful for what I have.

I suspect that at least some of the folks who waited all night on Thanksgiving Eve for the chance at a good buy on a TV or computer were attempting to impress those who would be receiving the gifts. But I've never attempted to buy a gift for someone where I would risk being knifed, shot or tazered for the item. Do these folks really believe that a $200 TV is worth a possible hospital bill or a criminal record for disorderly conduct?

I'll admit I enjoy shopping for bargains on those rare occasions when I go to a store. But if I'm in a grocery store and there's one can of beans left on a shelf at a sale price and somebody else grabs it just before I get there, I'll gladly pay the extra dime for another brand of beans.

We live in an incredibly competitive society. Some would even call it a desperate society. Many folks are unfortunately living on the economic edge. But why do they think their lives will be better if they pull out that credit card and spend much more than they can actually afford? Will they remember that warm feeling they had at gift giving time when, three months down the road they are contemplating bankruptcy when the bills are past due?

Corporate America lives on the gullibility and impatience of the public. That's a pretty strong statement and I realize that many corporations do a lot of good for all of us. But when I see a credit card commercial where the consumer is offered points or frequent flier miles for using a particular card, no where do I see that the consumer can be charged up to 24 percent or more annual interest for using the card. When Menard's, the home improvement giant, advertises a big rebate sale, only in the fine print do you notice that the rebate is actually a Menard's card, not cash.

I used to like to look at the newspaper ad inserts from Walgreen's and CVS pharmacies. They are both wonderful stores. But the advertised sale prices on virtually everything in those fliers come with a small print that says, “with card.” In order to receive that price, you have to present a card that indicates that you have filled out an application, probably including your address or e-mail address, professing your loyalty to that store and enabling corporate to send you all sorts of junk mail.

Just sell me the item at the posted price and don't make me flash a card.

I've told this story before. But when my family decided to spend a big portion of our tax refund on our first computer, we went to one of those big box stores and found a nice computer at a reasonable price. But the fine print stated that in order to get that price, we had to mail in a rebate form. So I asked the unfortunate salesman who waited on us to show us a computer that didn't come with a rebate. When he said that wasn't possible, we said “Thanks” and walked out. We went across the street to another store and bought a computer with no rebate attached. Apparently, more folks did the same thing. I notice now that the big box retailer has fewer rebate specials.

The only way all this will change is if the consumer starts taking more care when he or she makes a purchase. As long as you make purchases with those loyalty cards, buy big ticket items at stores where the sale price is only obtained with a rebate then maybe or maybe not remember to send in for the rebate or keep buying those 11 ounce cans of coffee that were were once 16 ounces – for the same price – without protesting to the corporations, nothing will change.

More importantly at this time of the year, if you believe that those certain presents are available for a “limited time only” and you spend your time and money trying to make someone else happy, you will lose sight of the real “reason for the season.” That babe in the manger in Bethlehem certainly didn't need a big screen TV. Those treasures presented by the Wise Men were nice, but I doubt they had to fight off crowds for them, or mail in rebate forms to pay for them.

So while I'll do a little shopping this holiday season, I'm vowing to spend more time in praise and thanksgiving for the One for whom we should all be celebrating this time of the year.

Although I hope to remember to post another message later this month, for now, have a merry, blessed and sane Christmas season!

A somber anniversary

By Jeff Orvis

It was a typically gray late fall day. For the only year of my first seven years in school, I was in a different building. But the novelty of climbing on a bus and traveling three or four miles to the top of the hill to the newer Pleasant View School had begun to wear off by that late November day and I suppose I had the same view as my classmates that a day off from classes for parent-teacher conferences, even if it was only a week until Thanksgiving, was a welcome change.

Dad was at work. Mom had a scheduled conference with my third grade teacher just after noon. Since we were too young to stay home alone and since the school allowed kids to hang out in the gym while their parents were in conference, my sister and I went along. It was a rare opportunity to have the gym virtually to ourselves – basketballs and indoor hoops! I vaguely remember that a radio was playing in the background and suddenly the music stopped and a newsman began talking.

It's been five decades since that day and memories sometimes are a big cloudy. But I remember that even then I felt it was my responsibility to tell Mom that the president had been shot in Dallas when she was finished with her conference. She may have already been told and I remember it was a quiet ride back to the house.

In those days, both Mom and Dad were big Kennedy supporters. Looking back and considering my mom's political leanings later in life, I don't know if she was a real fan or if she was simply attempting to keep harmony in the house as she was married to a lifelong Democrat. What I do remember is the rest of that day and for most of the next three days, she shed a lot of tears.

My folks were not politically active. They didn't volunteer at candidate headquarters or make phone calls on behalf of candidates. But they made sure we were exposed to the political process at an early age. My earliest memory was when we were living in Rock Island, IL early in 1960. We walked down to the corner along a busy street and watched as a motorcade carrying the future president passed by. I still think he smiled and waved at us. Later that summer, we drove from our house in the Quad-Cities to Monticello, IA, to hear a campaign speech by the future vice president (and later president) Lyndon Johnson. He was truly in his element, speaking in front of a grandstand on the grounds of a county fair.

So much has been written about the Kennedy years, especially in the days leading up to this fateful anniversary. President Kennedy still maintains an approval rating over 90 percent. We have heard that he may not have always been faithful in his marriage. We learned that he served in office despite a debilitating back ailment. But he overcame so much to lead this nation for such a short time. He came from a family of great wealth, but also one of great service. Despite that wealth, his parents never let him nor his brothers or sisters forget the responsibilities they had to help mankind. He was a war hero, scholar, member of Congress and author.

He broke the mold of what our parents and grandparents expected in their president. Most of those who came before him were old enough to be grandfathers. John Kennedy had two young children under the age of six. He was also a practicing Catholic, another fact that some tried to use against him.

As we remember the Kennedy legacy, it's often tough for me to remember that many of those who I may want to discuss this with weren't even born when he was president. But even if you were only six or seven years old at that time, the few seconds of terror branded our memory with something that stays with us today and will last forever.