After a long week, as I was putting Riley in her car seat for the ride home after daycare today she suddenly asked me if we live in space
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I was 9 and in the worst school year of my life (the year of the bullying by kids, teachers and auxilliary staff!) I don't recall watching it live, but it wouldn't have been on at my school in the UK. Plus, there was the 5-hour time difference so if it was after school I wouldn't have watched it either. I do know I can't watch the footage now. Just as I can't watch 9/11 footage, knowing those were the moments when lives were ended. I do recall when Columbia went down on re-entry, however, and remembering having watched the crew earlier in the week on the news.
These are the times, however, from which we learn. We all know about O-rings now. And I'm gutted that the missions are coming to an end.
I was living 50 miles from Cape Canaveral at the time. We could see the shuttles go up even from that distance - and I was always in awe of every launch. The night time launches were spectacular. That was one of the few things I liked about living in central Florida.
On that particular day & time, after the launch had been delayed if I recall, my co-workers and I had gone out to lunch. We were sitting in Pizza Hut eating when our waitress came over and told us the news. We went outside and looked into the skies - the remnants of smoke, debris, remained in the air for hours. It was awful - I cried every time I watched the replay of it on tv, and I'm glad that was one day when I did not go outside during the actual launch. I think I would have collapsed if I'd seen it live.
I think a lot of people in our generation had a very similar experience. It was a time when the shuttle program was still exciting to our country and the addition of a teacher to the crew... it was a must watch for all the schools.
I was in 8th grade, I don't remember the teacher (because we were sent to another classroom to watch... lack of TVs), but I also remember the stunned silence and the somber tone the rest of the day had. It was very strange to walk down the halls of a middle school and have it be somewhat quiet.
I love that all my friends are posting about this. It's not very important to "normal" people, but to us, it's monumental.
I was in first grade. We didn't watch the launch live (am now jealous of you), but apparently the teachers, at least, were paying attention.
Visiting the astronaut memorial at the KSC a few years ago I got unexpectedly choked up, noticing how new the Columbia names looked, and remembering Challenger.
On Friday I was skiing on Mt. Hood with my dad and uncle and there was a section of the mountain that I noticed had runs named after historical missions (Apollo, Gemini, Voyager, Mercury). I informed them that if there was a run named Challenger, we were not going to be taking it that day. (There wasn't, but I still appreciated the space-themed skiing.)
(Also, when Riley becomes an astronaut, will she take me with her to SPACE?)
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These are the times, however, from which we learn. We all know about O-rings now. And I'm gutted that the missions are coming to an end.
Reply
On that particular day & time, after the launch had been delayed if I recall, my co-workers and I had gone out to lunch. We were sitting in Pizza Hut eating when our waitress came over and told us the news. We went outside and looked into the skies - the remnants of smoke, debris, remained in the air for hours. It was awful - I cried every time I watched the replay of it on tv, and I'm glad that was one day when I did not go outside during the actual launch. I think I would have collapsed if I'd seen it live.
Reply
I was in 8th grade, I don't remember the teacher (because we were sent to another classroom to watch... lack of TVs), but I also remember the stunned silence and the somber tone the rest of the day had. It was very strange to walk down the halls of a middle school and have it be somewhat quiet.
Reply
I was in first grade. We didn't watch the launch live (am now jealous of you), but apparently the teachers, at least, were paying attention.
Visiting the astronaut memorial at the KSC a few years ago I got unexpectedly choked up, noticing how new the Columbia names looked, and remembering Challenger.
On Friday I was skiing on Mt. Hood with my dad and uncle and there was a section of the mountain that I noticed had runs named after historical missions (Apollo, Gemini, Voyager, Mercury). I informed them that if there was a run named Challenger, we were not going to be taking it that day. (There wasn't, but I still appreciated the space-themed skiing.)
(Also, when Riley becomes an astronaut, will she take me with her to SPACE?)
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