My memorial
I guess I knew this on some level, but I never really knew it until I read the beginning of an article over at MSNBC today. All of the tragedies suffered by the US space program have happened within about a week of each other on the calendar. The Apollo 1 fire was Jan. 27 (1967), Challenger was Jan. 28 (1986) and Columbia was two years ago this Feb. 1. I'm certainly not superstitious or anything, it just kind of stopped me for a moment when that actually sunk in.
I can barely believe that Challenger was 19 years ago. I remember it so clearly. I am thankful to this day that I was attending a private school that didn't feel the need to take the time out of our schoolday to have us all watch the launch. A lot of schoolchildren did see it live, of course, because Christa McAuliffe was to be the first teacher in space on that flight. I'm just glad I don't have that memory. I've seen replay after replay, as has everyone else, but somehow I think having seen it live would have been even worse. (As it turned out, my mother was the one that called my school to let them know what had happened! I remember vividly when the announcement took place. I was in Catholic school at the time and we promptly said a school prayer for the astronauts. I just wanted to go home.) I cannot remember a time in my life when I didn't want to be an astronaut, so I was acutely aware of when launches were scheduled, even as a 9-year old child. (Well, as aware as one could be in the era prior to the internet). :) I knew Challenger was going up that day and was simply devestated by what happened.
I've heard it said that people of my parents ' generation all remember exactly where they were when President Kennedy was shot. For a long time, I thought the space shuttle Challenger might be an analogous benchmark for my generation. (Of course, I don't think that anymore, but that's a memory for another day.)
Anyway, I guess this is my little memorial this year to the astronauts that have been lost over the years. In my opinion, they were some of the bravest, most daring people in the world. As much as we have gained technologically from space travel, I have to admit it often boils down to nothing more than the pure pursuit of knowledge and the unknown that would drive someone to risk their lives to go into space. I admire them, and they will never be forgotten.
I can barely believe that Challenger was 19 years ago. I remember it so clearly. I am thankful to this day that I was attending a private school that didn't feel the need to take the time out of our schoolday to have us all watch the launch. A lot of schoolchildren did see it live, of course, because Christa McAuliffe was to be the first teacher in space on that flight. I'm just glad I don't have that memory. I've seen replay after replay, as has everyone else, but somehow I think having seen it live would have been even worse. (As it turned out, my mother was the one that called my school to let them know what had happened! I remember vividly when the announcement took place. I was in Catholic school at the time and we promptly said a school prayer for the astronauts. I just wanted to go home.) I cannot remember a time in my life when I didn't want to be an astronaut, so I was acutely aware of when launches were scheduled, even as a 9-year old child. (Well, as aware as one could be in the era prior to the internet). :) I knew Challenger was going up that day and was simply devestated by what happened.
I've heard it said that people of my parents ' generation all remember exactly where they were when President Kennedy was shot. For a long time, I thought the space shuttle Challenger might be an analogous benchmark for my generation. (Of course, I don't think that anymore, but that's a memory for another day.)
Anyway, I guess this is my little memorial this year to the astronauts that have been lost over the years. In my opinion, they were some of the bravest, most daring people in the world. As much as we have gained technologically from space travel, I have to admit it often boils down to nothing more than the pure pursuit of knowledge and the unknown that would drive someone to risk their lives to go into space. I admire them, and they will never be forgotten.
posted by Meredith | 5:10 PM
1 Comments:
Yep, I remember that. TV was wheeled into our classroom and the whole fourth grade gathered in there to watch. Very sad. I don't think the teachers knew what to say.
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