Our earth's moon has had romanticized symbolism for much of my life -- intriguing stories, thoughtful poetry, artistic drawings, spectacular photography. Most memorable to me have been many moon lyric references and popular mood-creating musical melodies that conjure vivid visual pictures in my mind.
Those similarly affected sometimes spoke in awe of the moon's beauty, or half-seriously talked of whether or not the moon might be made of green cheese. A popular television show, now considered a classic, featured a character who elicited uproarious audience laughter when he would become angry, frustratingly raising his fist toward his antagonist, and saying "to the moon."
"To the Moon" acquired much more serious connotation when in 1969 the United States Apollo Program launched a spacecraft with three astronauts aboard to land on the moon.
I vividly recall the excitement building up to that event.....
-- the anxious feelings that the launch be successful
-- wanting the flight to be without flaws
-- and the descent toward the moon be controlled
-- wishing the landing would be smooth and safe
-- desiring the astronaut would be able to disembark from the spacecraft without incident
-- hoping the astronaut's actual steps onto the moon's surface would be solid
-- the excitement of actually seeing the event live on my television screen
-- Eagle Commander Astronaut Neil Armstrong standing, walking, running on the moon
-- saying those thrilling spine-tingling memorable words:
"...one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind!"
"Neil Armstrong presents a Google moon video together with original
footage taken from the Eagle module during his landing 20 July 1969.
Captured from a webcast from the House Committee on Science, Space and
Technology Hearing on NASA Human Spaceflight 22 Sep 2011." 10 mins. Courtesy of YouTube.
Neil Armstrong, an Ohioan, highly respected throughout the world, died Saturday 8/25/12 at age 82 due to sudden unexpected complications following heart bypass surgery.
RIP
Dear Joared, thank you for this eulogy for Neil Armstrong. And thanks also for the two videos. We have lost a true hero. Peace.
ReplyDeleteThe lunar trip and landing certainly were memorable moments in our history. I well remember being worried that things would not work out and extremely relieved when they did. We've lost a true hero.
ReplyDeleteExcitement we once had about positive events, one all of us could share seems like something from the past...thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteWe were living in New Jersey at that time, in a apartment building. Our neighbors were very excited by the moon landing and walk on the moon. I was somewhat conflicted, because it was so under the auspices of the military and scripted as a triumph of capitalism over communism. And the Vietnam War was raging. There was a lot of conflict and bad feeling among us then about the war.
ReplyDeleteStill, it is not to be denied that getting a man to the moon was an extraordinary achievement, and I wonder if actual humans will ever get to the moon again, or to Mars.
I think the best moon song has got to be Moon River!
Neil had an out-of-this-world experience. How grand it was. Meanwhile, lefties were having a mudfest at Woodstock. I trust you have seen the movie "A Walk on the Moon"? Diane Lane, Viggo Mortenson Liev Schriber. A great film with great actors, and I've seen it about 6 times. Dianne
ReplyDeleteI was in a bank in Bangkok, Thailand, making a transaction and a television was pointed in my direction. I was thrilled to see the lunar landing and walk. I was so proud to be an American! Unforgettable experience!
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