John's Death and How It Affected Me

[Captain Kundalini]

I didn't have a TV at the time. On the morning of December 9, 1980, I got dressed for work, stepped over the morning paper, walked out to my car and drove to work as usual. Just after we opened at Orange Julius in North Park Mall, my brother Bryan called and in typical dramatic fashion, told me that John had been shot and that he was dead. I refused to believe him! I hung up the phone and went 'round the corner to get the Dallas Morning News.
The headline was right there staring me in the face. I went back inside, got to work and somehow got through a very busy day.
Wen I got back to my apartment, I was overtaken by a cloud of absolute black RAGE! Then sadness, then rage again.
I DESPERATELY tried to convince myself that it wasn't real, that this was a prank like the "War Of The Worlds" radio broadcast.
Something in my mind turned off.
To make a long story short, I had a mental and emotional breakdown. I just couldn't deal with it, so I started talking and acting like John
(with what I discovered had disastrous results).
I threw 2 years of being clean and sober out the window. I got busted and had to do 3 years probation.
I was ordered to get some help. I got it all out: the Rage, the Pain. I got my reality back.
It took me about 3 years to recover.....but I did recover.
I now have 30 years and 3 months clean and sober.
Well, that's all. Thanks for reading.

 

[Starshyne9]

Congratulations on 30 years and 3 months sober! That is amazing. I lost the love of my life due to alcohol, so I am happy to hear that you turned things around and were able to overcome addiction and live life.

I was only 4 when John was murdered, so I don't remember it. When I first started getting into the Beatles, I knew that John was not alive, but I assumed he had died because of an overdose like so many musicians from the 1960s did. I was reading a book about John's life, and when I got to the end and read that he was murdered, I cried and was just as upset as if it had just happened. It was devastating to me and took me a while to process and move forward. The year might have been 1989, but I had the same feelings that fans did in 1980.

Sara S.

 

[Leya]

I was born on December 8th, 1980. So my whole life, people (especially my parents) have associated my birth with the death of a genius they admired. Moreover, my son was born on the day of my birthday, just like Sean was born on John Lennon's birthday... Weird life coincidences, but it kickstarted my obsession with the Beatles from a very, very young age. I teach English as a second language and I share everything with my kids : books, movies TV show, music... but not the Beatles. Their music is too personal for me, too much a part of my life.

 

[steffieweffie]

I was born on December 8th, 1980. So my whole life, people (especially my parents) have associated my birth with the death of a genius they admired. Moreover, my son was born on the day of my birthday, just like Sean was born on John Lennon's birthday... Weird life coincidences, but it kickstarted my obsession with the Beatles from a very, very young age. I teach English as a second language and I share everything with my kids : books, movies TV show, music... but not the Beatles. Their music is too personal for me, too much a part of my life.

My niece was born on October 9th and Ive called her my Beatles baby ever since.

 

[steffieweffie]

Congrats on your sobriety! John died before I was born. I know I would’ve been depressed over his death too.

 

[Captain Kundalini]

Congratulations on 30 years and 3 months sober! That is amazing. I lost the love of my life due to alcohol, so I am happy to hear that you turned things around and were able to overcome addiction and live life.

I was only 4 when John was murdered, so I don't remember it. When I first started getting into the Beatles, I knew that John was not alive, but I assumed he had died because of an overdose like so many musicians from the 1960s did. I was reading a book about John's life, and when I got to the end and read that he was murdered, I cried and was just as upset as if it had just happened. It was devastating to me and took me a while to process and move forward. The year might have been 1989, but I had the same feelings that fans did in 1980.

Sara S.

Hugs. I am truly sorry for your loss.

 

[♤Mae♤]

I read your stories and it's really weird to see this in the pov of someone who's born 24 years later and became a fan in 2019-2020.
But to be honest the tragic incident affected me as if I was alive in 1980. The first two years I've been crying late at night just because I was mourning him in a time I wasn't feeling well myself. I remember that everything related to him in New York litteraly scared me (yea I was scared of the Dakota Building) and I was avoiding it all the time because it made me remember of the incident.
In my opinion, I think it's better to be a fan after the incident than living it live.
It's something that can affect any generation if you are a fan and sensible to violence and justice.
Now I'm feeling better and I'm happy to read that everyone somehow manage to get better. ♡

 

[ecclesofficial]

I read your stories and it's really weird to see this in the pov of someone who's born 24 years later and became a fan in 2019-2020.
But to be honest the tragic incident affected me as if I was alive in 1980. The first two years I've been crying late at night just because I was mourning him in a time I wasn't feeling well myself. I remember that everything related to him in New York litteraly scared me (yea I was scared of the Dakota Building) and I was avoiding it all the time because it made me remember of the incident.
In my opinion, I think it's better to be a fan after the incident than living it live.
It's something that can affect any generation if you are a fan and sensible to violence and justice.
Now I'm feeling better and I'm happy to read that everyone somehow manage to get better. ♡

Glad you’re feeling better all things must pass