Where were you when man landed on the moon?

[PeteS in CA]

Wait...I just noticed:  You had school in July?  What Sorcery is this??

I did summer school in my freshman, sophomore, and junior years to knock off a required subject and make room for an extra elective during the year. Freshman Geography was miserable because the building was built in 1934 (two years after my Mom graduated from that high school!), had no AC, we were upstairs, and summer is hot in CA's Central Valley.

[AllThatJazzZ]

I told this story in an another thread.  Sorry for repeating it.

I was a teenager at the time.  My terminally ill grandmother was living with my parents, brother and me.  Grandma was in terrible pain and the only relief came from meds that made her sleep -- almost like a coma.  The landing was scheduled for late at night, and Grandma was determined to see it.  She refused her pain meds so she could be awake to watch the landing with the rest of us. 

I still remember the joy and wonder on Grandma's face when she saw the landing and heard those famous words from Neil Armstrong.  Grandma was a peasant woman from a small village in Italy.   People like her in that environment would never have dreamed anyone would be able to travel to the moon. 

After more months of agony, Grandma was called home in November of that year.  When I think about the moon landing, I always think of her and fondly remember that look of amazement on her face.  That look was worth far more than gold.

@Applewood

What a wonderful story. Your grandma's reaction, especially in the middle such pain, brings tears to my eyes. Her response was such a contrast to the indifference of today. She left you a rich heritage.

[AllThatJazzZ]

At home between my Sophomore and Junior year in college, watching it on our black and white Philco (my cheap father didn't give in to get a color TV until the next year).

I had watched every flight since the first Alan Shepherd blip.  My cousin was in the navy and was on the ship that rescued him, and we were PROUD of that!

Also, Neil Armstrong was an Ohioan, and what with John Glenn and the Wright Brothers, we fellow Ohio natives grabbed up that "First in Flight" designation (that NC stole from us for its license plates!  )

@musiclady

That's a great story. What an exciting time for him + a wonderful story to hand down to his descendants.