“Now and Then,†the Beatles final song, not only inspired me but also made me cry. I love the song and really love the official video, especially the fade-out of their iconic bow.
Shortly after “Now and Then†was released, I watched a documentary made by National Geographic: “JFK/One Day in America.†It’s a three-series montage of footage from Nov. 22, 1963, and the days following, including interviews with those who played a role, such as Secret Service Agent Clint Hill. That infamous day is now 60 years ago this month. I was having a perfectly fine Friday evening when my sister recommended it and it also made me cry.
What do the Beatles video and the Kennedy documentary have in common? For me, they were so powerful that they took me right back to being a 12-year-old girl. I remember exactly how I felt, with each scene bringing back emotions just as if I was 12 again. The Beatles so young; the Kennedys, such a beautiful couple.
Like almost everyone, I can remember exactly where I was when we got the news about President Kennedy. I was in my seventh-grade geography class. The principal announced over the loudspeaker that our president was dead. He said we could all go home, and I remember my classmates walking out of class slowly and sadly.
Our geography teacher made a statement I have never forgotten. She said, “It is God’s will.†Even as a 12-year old, I thought the statement was inappropriate. What kind of vengeful God would kill this young president?
I remember lots of news coverage over that weekend, unlike the usual brief evening news. My sister and I were watching when Jack Ruby shot Lee Harvey Oswald during live television coverage. I will never forget the shock. School was canceled for Monday in honor of the funeral that was covered live.
When I think back on it, how does the mind of a 12-year-old or that of my 10-year-old sister process that kind of violence and sadness? This was a first for our generation. School shootings weren’t something we faced. For the record, I never believed the Warren Commission conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone.
The assassination of a president and the arrival of The Beatles were momentous events that shaped the first phase of life for Baby Boomers. It has often been said that the president’s death and aftermath were the end of our innocence. The Beatles coming to America in early 1964 provided much-needed joy.
As I reminisced, I read that one of John Lennon’s favorite songs in his last couple of years was “Reminiscing,†by the Little River Band. “Each time we hear our favorite song, the memories come along.†Truth.
Thoughts provoked by reliving both of these events brought on thoughts of mortality, a subject that we aging Baby Boomers have to face. It strikes me that thinking and writing about mortality is less depressing than politics these days.
I believe that John Lennon’s song, “Now and Then,†was written for Paul McCartney. It is said that, in their last conversation, when Paul and Linda visited John at the Dakota in NYC, John’s last words to Paul were “Think about me every now and then, old friend.â€
Patti Hamilton, of Fayette County, is the former executive director of the West Virginia Association of Counties.
