sitting on the launch pad, I really didn't think much about space at all.
Dad worked for the Newspaper Press division of Rockwell International in Nashua, NH.
Now even though Pops didn't work in the shuttle dvision of Rockwell, the entire company
was jazzed about the coming launch date of Space Shuttle Columbia in April of 1981.
When he brought the photograph home, I was hooked.
A plane.
A spaceship.
A rocket.
All combined into one? AWESOME! The night of April 11, 1981, I could not sleep.
It's really the only time I really rememember not being able to sleep as a kid. Back then,
ABC, NBC and CBS were the only game in town and I didn't want to miss the "live",
first launch of this plane, spaceship, rocket thingy.
It was spectactular. All four of us were glued to the TV, hoping the "rabbit ears" on the
back of our RCA wouldn't fail us.
I tried to catch each launch from that point on.
It was a snowy January day in 1986. My brother and I attended a Christian boarding school,
Dublin Christian Academy but we were "town students". Each early morning weekday, we
would drive 35 miles west over Temple Mountain and into Dublin for school. And each night,
come home.
We couldn't make it up the mountain that morning. Too much snow. Excited, we knew that
we would be able to catch Space Shuttle Challenger before it launched. The very first teacher-
in fact, the very first FEMALE teacher in space would be Christa McAuliffe from our very
own New Hampshire is on the flight!!!
73 seconds later, disaster right before my eyes on live television.
Instant heartbreak.
As a country, we recovered from that accident and our flight into space started up again a
few years later. So many incredible moments and then one more tragedy over the skies
of Texas.
Seeing Space Shuttle Endeavor today was incredibly moving for me. Being able to share
the first moments of it being piggybacked with my two boys, Matt and Tyler next to me
was a proud moment. It took me back to the excitement of being 12 years old and my dad
bringing home that 10x12 glossy. Here's to hoping we get back to space soon. My daughter
Kylie wants to be the first woman on the moon. I say, GO FOR IT! And to all those thousands
who worked tirelessly in the shuttle program from the conceptuals to the assembly line. From the
Astronauts and Mission Control: Thank you.
And thank you God for creating a Universe for us to explore and realize just how small we are.
And to realize just how much you love us.
