Challenger, 20 years ago.

I can't believe it has been twenty years ago. This even was the first tragic, and traumatic event I ever witnessed. I was in the 5th grade. One of the very popular 6th grade instructors invited us to his class to watch the shuttle lift off on his old ass TV. His name was Mr. Piper. He taught my little brother, my uncle (12years my senior) and my mom. And he started at that school when my grandmother still worked as a receptionist there.
Anyhow, he had this ancient TV, and he would allow his students to watch current events sometimes. As a kid the challenger was my favorite shuttle. I used to draw pictures of the challenger all the time. In fact the earliest memory I have of drawing is those pictures of the challenger. I used to, like most kids, think that space travel, and space ships were the coolest thing in the world. And I sat with my eyes glued to the TV at the awesome display of force as the behemoth shuttle was engulfed in smoke as it began its slow ascent away from the space station. And I watched with incredibility as it went faster and farther up into the air.
Then without even understanding what was going on in front of me, it burst into a ball of flame and smoke, and i watched stunned as the two booster rockets shot off in crisscrossing paterns. The shuttle had exploded.

I dont really know what kind of impact that had on me. I know that I feel sad now, and I know I never drew a space shuttle again. 20 years, man,