Challenger

When the Challenger exploded, 25 years ago today, my world changed.  I was an avid space enthusiast and had already attended Space Camp the spring before.  My dream was to become an astronaut, or at least work in the space industry.  This was way before my musical aspirations came to be, and before I realized my eyesight was too bad to accomplish the astronaut dream. 

I was sitting in my 8th grade science class, waiting for my teacher to appear.  He was late and that was not normal for him.  When he finally appeared his eyes were red from crying and he was blowing his nose.  I remember that very vividly, as it made a huge impression on me.  When do you ever see a teacher cry in front of their students?  Mr. Barrows was his name and he was one of my favorite teachers.  As he walked through the doorway I could see he was dragging a TV cart behind him.  He softly said that he had some horrible news to tell us and proceeded to explain about the Challenger Explosion.  He turned on the TV and we watched the news cast, saw the repeated video of the explosion, and sat there glued to my seat with tears rolling down my face.  Having been to Space Camp I had learned a huge amount about the Challenger the previous year and was in horrible shock. 

When I went back to Space Camp three months later, for my second time, the mood was completely different.  It was very somber and serious, compared to the lightheartedness it had been the previous year.  We sat in a lot of boring seminars, but the one I remember the most was when they explained to us about the O rings and what exactly happened.  It had not even been public knowledge yet, but we were hearing about it!  I was bowled over with emotions.   That same week at camp I managed to lose my retainer and sprain my ankle.  I took that as a sign to not pursue my astronaut dreams.

I still look at the space program with admiration and always try to catch the current "lift off".  Every time I see a shuttle propel itself into the sky I smile brightly and never forget the Challenger or the Columbia.  I pray that they make it to space and then wait for them to come home so I can watch them land.  The NASA channel often shows them walking in space now and you can watch what they are doing, or hear what they are saying.  I love that! 

With the space shuttle era coming to end, let us never forget the bravery the astronauts have shown through out all the decades of our space history.  It may not be as risky, or dangerous, as a soldier going off to war, but it is a risk to their lives every time that shuttle lifts off.  Let us never forget!