I've Just Seen a Face

     I have met many people over the years that have been fascinated that someone so young (HA!) likes The Beatles the way that I do. Many people have asked me what got me into them. I can easily tell you it was my mom, which is true. But there was a moment that, if it didn't happen, my life would really be completely different. It was a Sunday night and it must have been the Spring of 1996 because  I was in 6th grade. At the time, I only had a small black and white television in my room and I remember I absolutely did not want to watch tv on that small screen that particular evening.  Well, my mom was hellbent on watching this stupid tv special about this band that was around when the dinosaurs roamed.  I can still hear her saying, "I want to watch this Beatles Anthology (1) tonight, so you're going to have to watch this if you want to watch tv out here (in the living room)."  I don't know what possessed me to stay and watch, it might have just been that I loved (and still love) being with my mom. Either way, I was in it for the long haul... even then I didn't know how long it would be.
     As funny as it was, most of the footage in BA1 was in black and white and I ended up coloring with the nearest set of Crayolas I could find. I remember being so incredibly bored throughout most of it but recognizing one song, "Twist and Shout".  Even to this day, approximately fifteen years later, I can still remember how furious I was that I had to watch this. I promise you I am not so angry anymore, nor do I still have that black and white tv in my room :).
   I digress, so BA1 is almost over and I remember I was still coloring. The blokes on the tv were singing a song that I didn't know and it was still in black and white. At this point,  my mom (who is really too compassionate for one human being in this day and age) said, "It's such a shame what happened to him."  Of course, I am the best daughter a mom could have and I acknowledged her statement with a mumbled, "What happened to him, Mom?" not looking up from my paper and markers.  Her response, "He was shot," was shattering as a bullet through glass.  I immediately looked up at my mother (mind you I didn't really know of anyone getting shot before - I think Tupac and B.I.G. were even still alive) and swallowed real hard and said, "Who was shot, Mom?"  My mother then, with a frown and sad eyes pointed to the tv and said, "Him.  John Lennon was shot and killed."  At that moment in time, I looked at the tv and saw this guy smiling, playing his guitar and singing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and could not, as hard as I tried, figure out who would do this to that guy who wasn't bothering anyone and why something like that would happen. From that point on, I needed to know everything about The Beatles and John Lennon. 
    I can't say that I never would have liked The Beatles if  I didn't watch BA1 that night, maybe I would have ended up loving them just as much.  But, I highly doubt it. Anyway, that's the story that has brought me to this moment and sending me on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime journey. I owe it all to my mom and a black and white tv.