"When I'm 60, maybe, I'll look at my pile of papers and wonder, What really happened that year?"

In this quote, Christa McAuliffe is assessing the future and the death of time. She pictures herself at the age of 60, recalling at her life and specifically at a stack of papers. This pile of documents represents the events and memories of a specific year in her life. McAuliffe questions what really took place throughout that year and what effect it had on her life. This quote highlights the human propensity to assess the previous and question the significance of certain moments. It also stresses the importance of cherishing and taking advantage of each year, as it will eventually end up being a far-off memory.