Buzz Aldrin (and friend) stand at attention for the American flag
“Space, the final frontier.” Nobody could say it better than Gene Roddenberry long before mankind went to the moon.
Today is the 45th anniversary of the day Americans Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon. Michael Collins held down the fort and stayed with the command module.
I remember my Mom, Dad and I huddling around our black and white television the moment when when the lunar set down. I held my breath as Armstrong called out the lander’s elevation. And finally, he spoke those immortal words, “Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed.” We cheered and applauded. Man was on the Moon.
My brother’s inlaws were on the cutting edge of technology in those days. They had a color television. Knowing that Art’s teenage sister had an intense interest in everything space, the Richeys invited Mom, Dad and me over to their to watch man walk on the moon on their new color TV. How cool was that!
So six-and-a-half hours after the Eagle set down, Mom, Dad and I were glued to the Richey’s television watching Armstrong descend the ladder and step down on the surface of the moon. Ironically it was being broadcast in beautiful black and white. It didn’t matter. I was watching history.
Then came one of the most quoted (or is it misquoted) phrases ever uttered. “One small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind.”
They say “Punctuation saves lives.” The perfect example, “Let’s eat Grandma.” or “Let’s eat, Grandma.” Likewise adding a simple “a” to the quote makes so much more sense.” It’s hard to remember your lines when the whole world is hanging on your words and you’re worried about the possibility of sinking six feet in lunar dust.
When the remote camera broadcast the launch of the module from the surface of the moon, I once again held my breath. Would they make it? Of course, we know they did. They returned to Earth four days later heroes.
Our heroes: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Buzz Aldrin.
I loved the image of the lone footprint in the lunar dust. I got chills when I looked at the photo of Buzz Aldrin standing at attention in front of the American flag. (Most people think the stunning photos of an astronaut on the Moon was Armstrong, they weren’t. Sadly there aren’t any good photographs of Neil on the Moon because he had the camera most of the time. But Aldrin’s presence is certainly well documented.)
Several years later I stood in line for three hours in order to gaze upon a moon rock for 30 seconds. Several armed guards stood nearby. I remember thinking, “Yup. That’s a rock.” Despite its plain appearance, it was a rock that came from the Moon. Wow! I was looking at one of the most expensive, one of the most valuable stones on earth.
Now I don’t believe the conspiracy theorists who think the Moon landing was faked, but when I closely examined the famous shot of the footprint in the dust, I found what could have been pawprints. Although neither astronauts or scientist have found evidence of life on the Moon, I wonder if the Man in the Moon, might really be the Cat in the Moon. Either that or maybe the Moon had been previously visited by a more intelligent race.
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