Today marks the 33rd anniversary of John Lennon’s murder outside of his New York City apartment building.  A decade before I was even born, Mark David Chapman took the life of one of the world’s most influential people.

Growing up, my childhood consisted of approximately 85% Beatles, 10% competitive dance, and 5% Kraft mac n cheese.  In elementary school all I ever wanted to do was read about, watch, look at, and listen to anything related to the Beatles.  I absorbed everything, and by the time I was 9 I could tell who was singing which harmony part in nearly every song.  John Lennon was also my first serious celebrity crush- in elementary school, my friends would ask me who I ‘like-liked’, and I would reply “John Lennon.  He’s dead.  You wouldn’t know him”.

My undying love for the Beatles and John Lennon didn’t make me one of the cool kids at school (my classmates had all caught the nearly-fatal Britney Spears fever), and it wasn’t until late middle school that the other kids in my grade began to catch on.  But once they did, it became clear to me the extent of Lennon’s impact, and the timelessness of his music.

Even after 33 years, people still travel from all over the world to see where he was shot, and to see Strawberry Fields in Central Park.  I make a point of stopping by both each time I’m in New York, and each time the eerie silence outside of the Dakota gives me goosebumps.

This man has affected and impacted millions of lives- those who knew him, those who were around while he was alive, and those who were born after his time.  And as long as we keep remembering him- his words, and his music- he will never truly be gone from the world.

Over the years, this day has become a time for me to reflect on what kind of world we would be living in if John Lennon were still alive.  We will never know for sure, but we can always Imagine.

-Melani