The day was January 26, 2020. I remember the day well as I was just wrapping up a fun weekend with friends and members of the St. Jude Family in Memphis as we were preparing for the annual radiothon that we usually do. If only we knew what would soon follow not only that day but the next couple of months. I had a pretty late flight as I knew that I wouldn't be leaving until around four that afternoon heading back to Lake Charles.

That wasn't too bad initially but a friend who I met at the St. Jude function was also catching a flight back and was heading to Baton Rouge, she nudged me and asked me did I see what was being posted online. At that moment I was watching a movie on my Ipad and was totally disconnected from the real world. She told me that they were reporting a helicopter crash in California and Kobe Bryant was involved. Immediately my heart stopped as I have never seen or met Kobe in person, but I obviously didn't want anything to happen to him either. As time passed more information came out and we found out that Kobe's daughter Gigi was also on the helicopter along with 7 others would make it 9 total people who we eventually found out were killed in the crash.

At that moment I have to be honest when I say that my anxiety raised through the roof. Here I am just finding out that Kobe Bryant and 8 others were killed in a helicopter crash and I am preparing to board a plane leaving within less than an hour. Out of all of the flights that I have made during my life, that had to be one of the hardest plane rides I had to make. It seemed like every bit of turbulence or disturbance was happening, I knew that it was all in my mind now but at the moment It was hard to decipher what was really going on in my mind.

The news hit hard and once I got back home that was the discussion of my household and friends as we talked about it that night and the rest of that week. As a matter of fact, we are still talking about it, Kobe was someone that you either loved or hated especially if you were into sports. While he was a phenomenal basketball player, his name was simply known by all. Then having to think of the loss that his wife Vanessa took with losing her husband and daughter is hard for anyone to deal with. You have to also factor in the loss of 7 other people on the flight who were loved and their families had to begin the healing and grieving process to try and move forward.

Time has truly flown by, today we commemorate the life of Kobe Bryant, Gigi Bryant, Alyssa Altobelli, her mother Keri Altobelli, and Father John Altobelli. Also Christina Mauser, Payton Chester, and Payton's mother Sarah. This is truly an emotional day especially for the fans of the former Lakers star Kobe and many will remember him from pulling out their jerseys or watching old clips of him in action.

This is a day that I will never forget as that was the news heard around the world on a death that truly impacted many who were fans, friends, and even opponents of Kobe Bryant.

 

LOOK: 50 famous memes and what they mean

With the infinite number of memes scattered across the internet, it's hard to keep track. Just when you've grasped the meaning of one hilarious meme, it has already become old news and replaced by something equally as enigmatic. Online forums like Tumblr, Twitter, 4chan, and Reddit are responsible for a majority of meme infections, and with the constant posting and sharing, finding the source of an original meme is easier said than done. Stacker hunted through internet resources, pop culture publications, and databases like Know Your Meme to find 50 different memes and what they mean. While the almost self-replicating nature of these vague symbols can get exhausting, memes in their essence can also bring people closer together—as long as they have internet access.

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