The Little Space Cadet in Me
I was told that last night, at about 9:13 p.m., if you had a clear view of the sky, you’d be able to see the International Space Station with the naked eye. So, what do I do? That’s right…just like a little kid, I ran out of the house at 9:13 on the dot and into the front yard to look. After about a minute or so, there it was…a solid light moving steadily across the sky. I followed it as far as my eye could take me. Pretty cool, I’d say.
I’ve been a NASA nut as long as I can remember. I first became interested in the space program when I learned that the late Apollo 15 astronaut Jim Irwin was a friend of my grandfather. I even have an autographed picture hanging in my hallway of Mr. Irwin standing on the moon. The whole idea of exploring space (especially the moon) holds such appeal to me… I love the notion of trying to learn about the incredible, intricate universe that God created…and doing it firsthand, with actual human exploration.
I’ve always been fascinated, from studying the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions, right on through the Space Shuttle and the proposed missions to Mars and to return to the moon. NASA holds me rapt even today (the ISS not so much…except for the thrill of seeing it from my front yard…); I guess at heart I’m still a little space cadet, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
I’d be remiss at this moment not to mention that a couple of weeks ago I missed the tenth anniversary of the passing of one of my few earthly heroes — Alan Shepard. As the first American in space, he’s a true hero for me, and I certainly hope he’s looking at the universe from Heaven’s perspective.