Before Michael Jackson died, one of the largest news stories was about an Iranian woman named Neda. Neda was a Philosophy student in Iran who was shot and killed at a protest rally. Her final moments were captured on a cell phone video camera, and have become the catalyst of the Iranian protesters. Across the world, Neda's image has become the face of the Iranian movement going on right now.
This idea of a single image taking hold and becoming the embodiment of an age, an ideology and a revolution made me stop to think; what are the symbols, or meaningful images, that we all carry with us?
There are so many powerful, heart-wrenching, and awe inspiring images out that that I am not even going to try to name them. I would like to share some of the meaningful images that I can remember in my life. And I’d like to hear yours.
9/11 – World Trade Towers
I believe that this horrific event will remain forever imprinted upon all who saw, or heard of it. This tragedy united America with a common grief, and this grief is still very raw.
As a senior at a California high school, I remember my mom coming into my bedroom and waking me up. She led me out to the living room where we watched the second plane crash into the second tower. We watched, stunned. I asked her what was happening, and then the towers fell.
The image of the planes, the towers, the smoke and the confusion, this will always be an image I carry with me. This sparked the beginning of my entry into the adult world. This event did not fill me with fear and dread, but a belief that we must work harder to bridge the gaps between societies, between the rich and poor, between the powerful and the weak.
War on Iraq
It was my first year in college and I was sitting on a dorm bed, watching images of “Shock and Awe.” I remember newscasters saying that this would last a week, a month at the most. We all know it has lasted much, much longer than anyone had originally thought.
Smokey the Bear
This one is a bit unusual, I know. I grew up in a rural, forested area in Northern California. The threat of forest fires was real and constant throughout the summer months. I remember seeing Smokey the Bear at town events, the 4th of July Parade, visiting the elementary school. He became, to me, a symbol of summer and conservation of our environment. Plus, I just loved his big ol' tummy and his theme song.
President Obama on Election Night
After I returned from the polling place, I did what I’m sure millions and millions of people did, turned on CNN. I watched the results come in from New York, Arkansas, and to ripple out to the west coast. I anxiously watched the electoral votes tick up at the bottom of the screen, states turning either red or blue. And finally, there were enough results in to declare a winner. We put down our pizza slices and hugged everyone in the room. The image of President Obama standing up on the stage, waving and smiling behind the bulletproof glass will stick with me. We felt that change was on its way. Something new and exciting was beginning. And while we’re in the very early stages of this, I still feel the same way.
These are the memorable images of my life. I know I was alive for the fall of the Berlin Wall and Communist Germany, Tiananmen square, and many other important, tragic and powerful world events - with timeless images. But, I was too young to recognize or consider the importance of those events at the time and so they are not a part of my memorable images/events.
I would love to hear the memorable images and events of your life. Please take the time to share them.