Landmark anniversaries of happiness and sadness

I’m pretty much an authority on all of the aspects of the Lucy Victoria Cousins story, but I’m the first to admit that John Frederick Kennedy’s life and times have pretty much passed me by.

However, I’ve been afforded a chance to catch up with the events of November 22, 1963 thanks to the television minutes and column inches devoted that fateful day in Dallas. I reckon there’s been as much if not more media coverage this time round than 50 years ago.

I’m not saying I was completely in the dark about JFK’s assassination. For example I was aware that Lee Harvey Oswald, a book depository, Jack Ruby and a grassy knoll all had a role to play, but as to how these jigsaw pieces fitted together was a bit sketchier. As for context I was as clueless as a misprinted crossword.

Now, it’s impossible to vouch for your child’s intelligence without sounding like a puke, so I’m not going to. All I will say is Lucy is nearly as intelligent as me and leave it at that.

But where does Lucy fit into the JFK story I hear you ask. She doesn’t.

Lucy’s birthday and the anniversary of JFK’s assassination are just two unrelated events that happened around about the same time, give or take a few days.

One has repercussions that will be felt for years to come and the other is the subject of a film by Oliver Stone.

I’d never seen the 1991 movie until last week due to the fact it breaks all my rules for a film. It’s more than 100 minutes long and it’s based on real events.

I’m not a big fan of films based on real people and events as you tend to know the outcome. For example, not a single person could have been in any doubt as to how Titanic was going to end.

But at least the story of JFK gives rises to several conspiracy theories. Was it a lone gunman? Was it the work of the CIA? The Russians? The mob? A secret service agent whose gun misfired? Or was it all a dream?

Excuse that last theory. I’ve confused JFK in Dallas with JR from Dallas.

The same range of conspiracies surrounding JFK cannot be applied to the Titanic disaster unless you consider the ship was sunken deliberately as an insurance scam. In this case I’m not joking. Someone has actually written a book on this theory, though I’ll not give him the credence of printing his name.

Anyway, since watching JFK I now I have a better understanding of the story and my opinion of what happened is identical to that of Oliver Stone.

That’s another reason I tend to shy away from these sorts of films. I’m far too easy influenced.

Rather than consult my history books I tend to glean my history from actors like Kevin Costner, who let’s not forget robbed from the rich, danced with wolves, flirted with Whitney Houston and nabbed Al Capone before sticking his nose into the JFK shooting.

Because of people like me films have the power to rewrite history. With Lucy, my intention is to change that. I don’t want her growing up believing in silver screen myths. I’ve told her, if she learns to think for herself and seek the truth at all costs, that Santa will bring her a unicorn for Christmas.