It was the first time I flew in a plane. It was the first time I skipped school. It was the first time we took a “real” family vacation.
It would be the first time we wouldn’t be home for Christmas. It would be the first time we’d be having Christmas with no snow. It would be the first time a young astronomy enthusiast would discover his own Christmas “Stars.”
December 1968. California still had a sparkle of promise. When all those who defined cool were still busying themselves leaving on the last train for the coast.
We weren’t leaving. We were just visiting. Courtesy of American Airlines. The excitement derived from all those firsts overshadowed the fact we wouldn’t be spending the Holy Day with the extended family we grew up with. On the other hand, my father no doubt looked Continue Reading “50 Years Ago When the Earth First Rose”
Home, Sweet Home: The Joy of Our Return to Space
My own body remained tense. “Would the mission be scrubbed at that last minute?” “Would there be an in-flight ‘anomaly’?” “Is there any Tang left?”
What year is it?
Sometimes it’s hard to tell.
1968? It was a terribly bad year.
1969? It was a joyful year of ascending achievement.
Today? Well that’s an interesting idea.
Let’s return to the beginning. If you’re a member of the “space age” generation (like me), you’ll enjoy (and reflect) on this brief trip down memory lane. If you’re too young to remember the 1960s, you’ll appreciate the eerie similarities that might have you question Continue Reading “Home, Sweet Home: The Joy of Our Return to Space”