Where were you? (Was:Can everyone in Dallas check in re: space shuttle)

[serenadust <jmmears@comcast.net>]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter at yahoogroups.com, "Meg Demeranville 
> 
> I was in the first grade when the Challenger blew up. It's 
actually 
> one of the first memories I have of my school days. Somehow, we 
won 
> the right to see the Challenger launch over any of the other 
grades. 
> I remember sitting on that classroom floor with my best friend and 
> watching the television. I remember we were all kidding around and 
> laughing because it was really cool that we were the ones to watch 
> it. And then it blew up. The classroom got really quiet at that 
> point and I everyone was just stunned. 


I very clearly remember coming back from an early lunch at work (I'm 
another ancient listmember), and seeing all my co-workers in the 
hall watching a tv monitor.  The news was especially shocking in 
view of all the publicity about the first teacher in space, and the 
lessons she planned to conduct for broadcast back to classrooms.  In 
addition to the immediate shock and disbelief, was a sickening fear 
because we were part of the federal systems division of the company 
who designed and built all of the computer and guidance systems for 
the space shuttle program. Everyone was wondering if perhaps some 
fault in what we had provided may have been responsible for the 
destruction.
It was a horrible day.

Jo Serenadust