I am participating in 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes 2019 (all of my submissions can be found here).
Today’s prompt is: ACTIVE
I’m not sure if this prompt response is going to be among my most coherent, because I am incapable of turning off the first #AllWomanSpacewalk that is being livestreamed right now.
The two astronauts are active in space right this second, following instructions given to them from ground control.
Some of the responses on Twitter have been (due to the nature of commenting on Twitter) less than encouraging.
“It’s a shame this has to be news” (I don’t disagree!)
There’s also quite a bit of snark about NASA’s mission.
I’m also annoyed that I woke up early to catch this, and then still managed to miss the beginning (because I was still on the NASA channel where they had broadcast a news conference in advance of the walk).
But I’m here now, writing and listening.
I love all things space, and have had the opportunity to participate in NASA Socials three times. I love the challenge of trying to explain the scientific content to my fellow laypeople.
This is also reminding me of Mike Massimino’s book, where he discussed his own spacewalk as he repaired the Hubble Telescope. I gained a whole new appreciation for the intense preparation the astronauts go through, and how many things can go wrong (hence the intense preparation).
One thing about this spacewalk that sort of coincides with our spiritual journeys is the necessity of trusting the instructions you’re given. Ground control is telling them commands they have to follow, some of which don’t make sense when the astronauts are doing their work outside the International Space Station, in the dark.
We can’t always trust ourselves and our instincts, and knowing when to bring in someone who has our best interests at heart (and much more information to work with) can be key to our safety.
**Note: If this seems long for five minutes, it’s because I messed up the timer somehow. I finally looked at it when it seemed like this had taken longer than five minutes, and sure enough the mark had come and gone. Maybe I just need to concentrate on the astronauts today!
Wife of one, Mom of two, Friend of many. My pronouns are she/her/hers.
How exciting to watch that event. I haven’t heard much about the space program for quite awhile. I can’t imagine explaining anything space related to anyone. I’m sure it would be amazing to read your essays.
Thanks, Jane. Interacting with the professionals at NASA, and seeing their ability to explain technical things in an understandable way, is an argument we should all heed that learning to explain your work matters.
I’m really pretty confident,
and always trust my gut,
which has led to incidents
where I was called a nut.
Setting bracing on a construction day
I failed to think ahead.
Hammer forgotten, I found a way,
and simply used my head.
Yes, took the hard had off
and used my occipital bone
braced myself, then tied off,
and drove the wedges home.
When my dear wife this story caught,
she said that it explained a lot.
I can just see Barb’s reaction here!
So cool!
Totally agree!