Unforgettable Moments

By Doyne Phillips, Managing Editor for Southern Writers Magazine

Do you remember where you were when you heard of the assassination of President Kennedy? November 22^nd, 2013 marked the 50^th year since his death. Many of you were too young to remember. Those of us that do remember that day remember it clearly. For another generation the same impression was made with the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7^th, 1941 and yet another generation the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001. Those moments are unforgettable.   

Unforgettable moments tend to stick in our minds. We think back on them and can remember clearly where we were, who we were with, how we felt and the sudden impact on our lives. Those events mentioned above are moments shared by millions of people around the world but were experienced individually.   

The same is true for other events we hold near and dear to our hearts. The many “first” in our lives can be unforgettable. The circumstances surrounding your first bike, first car or first home can be extraordinary. 

Your first kiss, first love, first child, first grandchild is an enduring memory. Your personal success in your education, job or career is significant as well. All these things seem to be personal but we must remember these events, just as the great disasters of our time, are also unforgettable moments shared by millions of others like us. It connects us all.

It is true not everyone has the same experience but we all do have a common experience. Just as the great disasters touched each of us collectively it also touched us personally. Each personal experience has its own story unlike any other. Sharing those moments can touch others because they are connected by the common experience and understand how others could feel as they do. As writers we must realize these unforgettable moments are great connectors to our reader. Don’t hesitate to use them. As I was writing this I received a text from an associate announcing the birth of his first child, a son. You see, your numbers to share with are expanding every day.