Thursday, August 30, 2007

Do you remember where you were?

It's one of those pieces of history that was so important that you recall exactly where you were and what you were doing at the moment that you heard the news.

I was 15.

I had a paper route.

I remember getting up at 5am to open the bundles of newspapers that had been dropped off on my front porch a few hours earlier.


I remember cutting them open and reading the huge headline that seemed to punch you in the face: "DI DEAD".

It seemed completely surreal to me at the time, and in some super-cheesy way, i felt that it was my duty to let the 100 people on my route know the sad, horrible news. I felt i was playing such an important part, delivering such news to people's doorsteps before they were even awake. Before they could know the outcome of the night before when she was still in hospital.

Obviously i didn't know Diana. I dont' think anyone did. And i suppose it was all of the attention the media still paid her even in her death, but i was glued to the tv for the entire week leading up to her funeral. Would it be a state funeral? Would the Queen have something to say? What would Charles be doing? And most importantly, what were her boys feeling? I tried to imagine myself in their shoes especially since my sister and i are the same age as the princes.

Like everyone else in the world, anything Diana interested me and got my attention. I went to the Diana exhibit at the ROM, i bought magazines with her picture on it. She was fascinating and so much like the rest of us, that it was hard not to want to know more about her.

As you all know, Diana loved fashion and always looked stunning no matter where she was or who she was with. My favorite image of Diana is of her in this dress. It is my favorite dress of all time and whenever i think of Diana, this is the image that pops into my head.

So, do you remember where you were when you heard the news exactly 10 years ago?

3 comments:

Unknown said...

My mother is one of Diana's biggest fans. It's her only celebrity fixation. I was with a friend and rushed home to see if my mom was okay. She was sitting on the floor next to her bed, watching the TV. Crying. I remember her turning to me and saying, "She was just so young."

Diana was a gorgeous and giving woman, and even though it says a lot about our pop culture hungry society, that it's what killed her and has kept her alive all these years, she's an unforgettable public icon.

And I hope she's resting peacefully.

b*babbler said...

Oh, I definitely remember. I was at my grandparents house, with a (now) ex-boyfriend, when the news came on and we heard for the first time.

I just remember the whole week feeling very surreal, particularly as Mother Teresa had also died that week and the whole event was rather overshadowed.

karengreeners said...

I was at home with my roommate and pretend boyfriend. we were hanging out in my room, and we may have just smoked a joint, but we may have waited until we digested the news that we had just heard on the radio.
either way, it was a surreal day.