From the Observation Deck

A few years ago I became fascinated with the NASA moon program—from the mercury launches all the way through to the end of the Apollo program. Voyages and discovery continued beyond that of course, but it was that 60’s era that got my attention.

I watched the movie “The Right Stuff” which was entertaining. But it was the HBO series “From the Earth to the Moon,” hosted by Tom Hanks that was not only entertaining but very informative. I found out things about the Gemini and Apollo missions that go way beyond the first moon landing. What struck me as special were things such as companies who got contracts to build vehicles had to create the tools to make the vehicles. Nothing was easy or had been done before. These were truly innovative Americans. And to get all the big and little parts made, hundreds of thousands of Americans were put to work. Each person’s part was vital to the well being of the astronauts and the success of the mission.

Don’t you wish we had some common goal and lofty mission that would bring us all together, put thousands of people to work, and give people something to be proud of? Can you imagine being inspired to do something great, not because it’s easy but because it’s hard? Are we made of that kind of stuff today? If it could be done again in my lifetime, I’d be in awe.

As it is, we are celebrating the 40^th anniversary of the first moon landing this week. And to give away my age, I’m posting a photo of my brother and me just hours before Neil and Buzz made one giant leap for all of us. (By the way, my Dad, the guy who would kill me if I ever turned around while driving to take a picture, took this of my brother and me in the back of the station wagon while on a road trip, July 20, 1969.)