Thursday, December 08, 2005


"You can knit a sweater by the fireside...Sunday mornings, go for a ride..." -- John Lennon

Today's post is dedicated to the memory of John Lennon, who was murdered 25 years ago today.

So, dear knitters, whilst I prepare my next knitting post and try to get back on track with my knitting blog, and reel it back in to the topic of knitting, where were YOU when you learned that John Lennon had been shot?

I was in college at Louisiana State University. I was working at the campus radio station, WPRG-FM, which is where I met my husband. There was a spontaneous memorial the following night, held on the levee, next to the Mississippi River. Thousands of people were there. It was cold and damp and windy. I wore a favorite knit scarf and sweater under my windbreaker. We all held candles and cupped the flames in our palms so the wind wouldn't extinguish them. Many people brought guitars. We sang "Give Peace a Chance" and other songs. We cried and hugged each other.

Yes John, we will still need you when we're sixty-four. And for long after that.

My guitar gently weeps.

--Mambocat

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi,Dez.

I was in high school when John Lennon was killed. I'd had a crush on him since I was a little girl, and it was devastating. My dad went to the gathering in Central Park (since he was working n New York then); I just went to church for the national time of silence and prayed, a lot.

A petition was circulated at the time in New York to have "Imagine" made the national anthem - fat chance, eh?

Do you know the Christine Lavin song about it? It's called "the Dakota" and makes me cry.

"Every time I see the Dakota, I think about that night.
Shots ringing out, angry voices, a man losing his life.
Well, it's something we shouldn't dwell upon,
but it's something we shouldn't ignore.
Too many good men have been cut down;
Let's pray there won't be anymore."

--the chorus of the aforementioned song.