Moments in my Life where Time has Stopped

This is probably a strange title for something I am having a hard time putting into words.

Have you ever had moments in your life where you heard some news and then TIME for you just seemed to STOP?? These moments have happened to me. They all live somewhere in my mind, although I cannot be sure where in my mind they reside.

But they all tend to pop up when another 'time stopping' event occurs.

For each and every one of these 'time stoppers' I can recall where I was, what I was doing, thinking, feeling. I even remember saying a prayer once when I was young asking god to take years off my life and give those years as my gift to someone else to help him live.

My 'time stopping' list is as follows:

*President Kennedy Dies
*Jim Henson (the Muppet's creator) Dies
*Princess Diana Dies
*911 (here many people died)
and today, I have added to my list (and an odd one it is)
*Don Imus fired from MSNBC and CBS Radio (free speech has died).

The first four memories, everyone will recognize those events. The fifth time stopper, well I'm not sure how many people know who Don Imus is.

To learn more about him, just google or alltheweb, his name. He is/was not your typical radio talk-show host.

Imus would, on live tv and radio, verbally badger congressmen and authors, his employers at MSNBC and CBS without shame or regret. He (at least it seemed to me) was trying to get at the truth. This radio talk-show host (of more than 30 years on air) had no problem mentioning the names of the famous, calling them to task on any given issue he had taken up as a cause worth investigating.

He was very vocal on some issues like: thymerisol (a toxic mercury additive in children's vaccines - possibly connected to the cause of autism), SIDS (sudden-infant-death syndrome) and has helped in raising money to build a state-of-the-art Veterans Rehab Center in San Antonio, TX (whatever you thoughts on the war are, this rehab center is what our returning injured vets desperately need). He also has invested much of his time and money in his Imus Ranch for Kids with Cancer.

I've been a long-time listener to Imus in the Morning radio show. He's rude, crude, but has what seems to be honorable intentions to do good in the world. And, like Borat, his raw honesty makes me laugh. He makes fun of everybody, including himself. His staff, also continually poke fun at him, calling him old and shriveled.

Why you say, does the firing of such a controversial figure make a 'time stopping' memory for me. It basically is not WHO Don Imus is but WHAT has happened as a result of something inappropriate that he (Imus) said on air. And, that resulted in him loosing his job - that is what has me freak'in out.

Don Imus was not shy, was controversial and always came out with 'comments' that, in my opinion, most of us were probably thinking but afraid to say. You most likely either loved his show or hated it/him.

Today, I'm afraid, free speech has died a painful death here. Although this is nothing I can prove to be true, I know it to be true with every cell of my body. And, unfortunately, time will tell what happens next.

I think we all knew IT (losing our ability to speak freely) was coming. You have probably even experienced moments of it yourself - wondering just how far you should go in a discussion with co-workers, friends, family. Holding back a comment that you are not sure how your friend will react to (or possibly he will remember this comment you made and use against you in the future). But knowing the loss of your ability to speak freely is coming and then actually emotionally experiencing the death of this, another of our freedoms, has me feeling like a basket case tonight.

Gotta go put on the tv and numb my mind (oh, just kidding).

Everyone..............heads up. Something wicked this way comes.

~ The Mediator