I lost my virginity to my high school sweetheart on 19 April, 1966. I was a day short of my 17th birthday. It was time. I soloed in 757 Whiskey Whiskey, a Cessna 152 on my birthday, 1977. I shook hands with Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard one fine spring day in 1995. I thanked him for "lighting the candle"! I listen to Sir Paul McCartney and Wings sing Listen to What the Man Said. The Wonder of it all, Baby!
All of these were phenomenal and indelible landmarks in my life. Another is Mr. Elon Musk and his teams' immense and awesome effort to make 39 rocket engines function perfectly while burning 12,500,000 pounds of propellant to take more than 400-feet of booster and vehicle sub-orbital.
I remember my treasured grandmother, Annie McDowell, teaching me all the major constellations in the night sky. I saw the glint in her eyes and heard the soft measure of her gentle voice as she described seeing Haley's Comet. Twice!
Those of us who dare to turn our eyes skyward do live charmed lives, do we not?
- Ed