And we have liftoff
...of space shuttle Discovery! The second time around was a charm...:-) Once again, I drove to Cape Canaveral after work and slept in my car. Although this time around, I slept pretty good. Maybe I was getting used to it. I think the main reason was that it was a much cooler night last Monday evening. I arrived at the Cape around 20:30, set up my lawnchair by the river and read an entire book in two hours. I then crawled into my car and slept until around 6:30 when the traffic started picking up and the people were beginning to stir. Mind you, I wasn't the only one who slept in my car. Some of you think I'm ludicrous to do this, but why should I pay $100 for a hotel room across the street?
The crowds were much more in number than the first time around. I chatted up some folk around me. There was a family vacationing from Germany, another couple from Denmark, some people from Australia, and then various fellow Americans from hither and yon. I've posted three pix from the launch. Perhaps you've heard of the duststorm that came over from Africa. Well, it made for some spectacular sunrises and sunsets here in Florida. The sky was clear that morning, except for one small cloudbank that ultimately obscured the shuttle for a few seconds as it ascended into the great blue yonder. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
As the minutes were winding down to launch, people started standing up, getting tripods situated, listening intently to Nasa's radio broadcast...
Then you saw the fire shooting out of the booster rockets...huge plumes of steam began billowing from the launch pad. Slowly, Discovery began her ascent. The flames became more bright as she rose into the sky. Clouds briefly hid her from our sight, but then she burst through the top side and the contrail left behind gave indication that she was definitely on her way.
All of a sudden, this massive roar hit us...it was a bit delayed, but we finally heard the audible part of liftoff. Oh my!!! The sound waves totally reverberate throughout your whole body...and it's LOUD...and lasts a LONG time!!! Makes the roar of a 747-400 take-off sound like Tweety Bird with laryngitis. People were cheering, clapping, waving flags, saying things like, "God bless America", and "Go with God, Discovery". My heart swelled with pride and I felt jubilant that we were going back to space. While you might feel a bit of anxiety due to the fact that we've lost 14 astronauts due to two shuttle disasters, it's good to see that the spirit of adventure is undaunted, the desire to seek out the unknown, the willingness to take the risk. This is a piece of what the American spirit is all about.
Even it took FOREVER to get back to Orlando (NASA estimated around 300,000 crowded around the Cape), I'm so glad I went back and took a risk on the fact that the launch might have been delayed again. And if it had been, I would have still come back the third time...and the fourth, until it had a successful launch. Another item checked off my list of things to do in my lifetime...;-)
Well, on a different note...today is my birthday. I'm 29.95 plus shipping and handling...LOL. Actually, I'm 32. Wow...seems like just yesterday I was 22. My friend Laura took my out to lunch at Bahama Breeze where I had one of the most delicious grilled Portobello and vegetable sandwiches. It was put on toasted Cuban bread and served with a fresh Basil dipping sauce. Extremely mouthwatering! Then we went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert where I had strawberry shortcake. Growing up that's what I always had, so for old times' sake, I thought I'd do it again.
But on the more sentimental side, the older I've gotten, the more I've reflected on what's really important in life, what matters most. And that is you. Friends and family like you. Relationships, friendships, camping trips, walks in the park, shopping trips, it's all about the time that I've spent with you. That is what matters most. So, thank you for being a part of my life. Some of you, you've known me ever since I was born, some of you, since elementary school, some of you, it's only been a short while. But regardless of the length of time, I've enjoyed the privilege of having you a part of my life and look forward to times in the future when we see each other again! :o)
To illustrate what 32 years have taught me, I leave you with the following story...
"Imagine life is a game in which you are juggling five balls. The balls are called work, family, health, friends, and integrity. And you're keeping all of them in the air. But one day you finally come to understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. The other four balls-family, health, friends, integrity-are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be irrevocably scuffed, nicked, perhaps even shattered. And once you truly understand the lesson of the five balls, you will have the beginnings of balance in your life."
Until next time...
posted by rltyck at 17:18
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