JFK 50th Anniversary: Memories of John F. Kennedy

Kennedy quote photo | Dianna Bonny

I was born just four months before the fateful day of JFK’s assassination and grew up surrounded by his story through my school years. I vividly recall the grainy images of him and his family in the history books, which made them seem an otherworldly fairy tale to me.

Today, on the fiftieth anniversary of his death at the age of forty-six, it strikes me that my life was just at the starting line as this remarkable figure crossed the finish line of his. I often wonder, as I’m sure many others do, what the world might have been like if he hadn’t crossed paths with that violent twist of fate.

I came across this audio of never before heard interviews with those who were closest to him during his political ascent. It is an intriguing compilation of observations from people who had a front row seat to his life. Short, interesting and very worth listening too. I thought these five points about him were noteworthy – they add an interesting dimension to his character  – and are worth reflecting on as a way of engaging with life:

*He had a keen awareness of the irrelevance of what people thought they couldn’t do — he was only interested in the enlargement of the possible.

*His preternatural self-confidence grew from continually accomplishing things he was told he could not do.

*When he addressed problems, he was only interested in, “Will it work and why? And if it won’t work, why not?

*He was quick to admit what he didn’t know, ask questions and listen intently to the answers.

*Apparently President Kennedy often quoted the last stanza of the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost as encouragement and a reminder of his larger purpose:

 

“Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village, though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

 

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

 

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

 

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep

 

His life took a unexpected detour on this day fifty years ago and his death left behind a trail of “what if.” Whatever your political slant, it is hard to deny the impact that Kennedy had on the world.

I think we all have miles to go before we sleep and I hope our paths cross in the night.

With love,

-db

Who is Dianna Bonny:

Hi, my name is Dianna Bonny. It’s my mission to candidly share my journey with you. For me, it’s all about the healing: to create a radiant healing energy for others who have befallen a similar fate. Together, we can forge beautiful lives of belonging and connection. Thanks for joining me today! I look forward to hearing from you.

  1 comment for “JFK 50th Anniversary: Memories of John F. Kennedy

  1. November 24, 2013 at 10:44 pm

    Thanks to you, Dianna, I just spent an unparalleled hour … listening to “We Knew JFK: Unheard Stories from the Kennedy Archives.” It brought back memories of just how far we’ve come. Everyone has memories of the day JFK died. I also remember the day he was elected. I was living in the U.S. for awhile, up from our home in Brazil. We went to my maternal grandmother’s and her front door was draped in black … as if in mourning. America had elected a Catholic. Today it seems unconscionable. But how far we’ve come …

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