Rocket Boys
It’s quite something, isn’t it? I am terribly excited!
Sir Richard Branson, upon unveiling his new shuttle Spaceship
It flew! It flew!
Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickam
This week, as so often magically happens, several events in my life converged to offer a bright message. For me, the result was a reminder of the importance of wonder, of celebration, of exploration and of science.
The first instance was my reading of the best-selling memoir, Rocket Boys, by Homer Hickam. I saw the movie the book inspired, October Sky, some years ago, but was recently encouraged to read the novel by a friend who heard that my son is a mining engineer who once longed to become an astronaut. (For those of either persuasion, I passionately recommend the book.) Taking his advice, I spent last week reading about young Homer’s fascination with Sputnik, his formation of his own rocket club in hopes of joining the race to space, his jubilation upon seeing his inventions fly and his struggle to understand his mining supervisor father’s own passion for the work and workers inside a deep West Virginia coal mine.
The second event of note was the announcement a few days ago by Sir Richard Branson that his Virgin Aerospace shuttle is almost ready to take tourists into space. Branson, well-known as a creative entreprenuer and futurist, promised that within a few months his SpaceShipTwo will be shuttled to 60,000 feet and launched into space, giving those aboard a chance to experience weightlessness and enjoy a suborbital view of Earth. Suggesting a ride comfortable and safe enough to accomodate Branson’s family and even scientist Stephen Hawking, who is confined to a wheelchair, Branson described his airship as “one of the most beautiful and extraordinary aviation vehicles ever developed.”
The third piece of my personal convergence was actually chronologically the first. It happened some weeks back, and was brought into focus by these first two. It was my Parent’s Day tour of the Edgar Mine, the hardrock mine used to train students at the Colorado School of Mines where, until graduation this May, my son, Patrick, was in college. Vividly remembering Patrick as a curious little boy, my tour with him through the mine was an amazing experience: dressing in the weight of safety gear, walking with him deep into the mountainside, experiencing the unfathomable darkness, seeing his capability with the equipment, grasping the inherent dangers, seeing his fascination with going where no one has gone and finally understanding his role in the world’s neccesity for metals…not to mention, the joy of stepping back out into the cool Colorado light!
That unforgettable experience was vivid for me this week as I read about Homer Hickam’s own boyhood decent into a coal mine with his father. As I turned the pages, other sweet memories of my boys designing and building things swept over me as Homer and his friends dreamed of and then built their own rockets, just as Patrick did between childhood summers at NASA’s Space Camp. Those thoughts were underscored as I watched Sir Richard Branson this week talk joyfully about the fulfillment of his own dreams of space, and I was reminded of the courage of those who envision the future. Educated in science myself and the daughter, wife and mother of science students, I delight when the excitement of exploration is celebrated by the world.
The final convergence came this morning as I turned on my computer to find that today is the 50th anniversary of the National Aeronautical and Space Administration, NASA. What a happy coincidence!
NASA, Rocket Boys, Sir Branson’s spaces travel, my sons’ experiences…they are each a reminder of the power of consilience, E. O. Wilson’s idea of the unity of knowledge, that the various branches of science converge and confirm each other. That idea is the basis for the InSpiritry concept of Consilience: that all knowledge and experience is inherently good because whatever and however we learn, we are learning about ourselves, our world and our God. When we embrace that perspective, education becomes essential. Exploration and research become holy. Wonder becomes worship. Science becomes sacred.
Even if you are not a scientist or explorer, you can experience the power of wonder. Consider your own life:
What excites you or your children the way space excited the Rocket Boys? Follow your heart!
Do you have ideas that are as innovative and risky as Sir Branson’s? Stay the course!
What do you not yet understand or haven’t yet learned? Stimulate your mind!
What do you wish you could do with your life? Make your dreams come true!
What do you want to see happen in the world? Invest in the future!
Let’s be inspired by the accomplishments of Sir Richard Branson. Let’s use our admiration of the Rocket Boys to fuel the imagination of creative young people. Let’s believe that the more we know, the closer we are to the Truth. Let’s believe in the InSpiritry concepts of Consilience, of Courage and of Celebration.
When We Dare to Dream, We Can Be a Blessing!
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July 31st, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I read Rocket Boys several years ago, at the suggestion of my yoga teacher. I felt the same way. It is a book about wonder and excitement and being a part of it. It reminded me of my elementary school days, excited about the Apollo missions. Now, in my 40s, I still get a thrill when I see news of new pictures from Mars. Space exploration (more so than mining in my case) was such a big part of my childhood imagination—Rocket Boys captured it very well.
Your blog is a good reminder to me. There things that still stimulate and animate my imagination and too often I’m afraid to try them for myself or else I’m afraid of (i.e. too lazy for) the work involved. But if desire is part of the calling . . . the risks and work will surely be worth it.
Thanks, Anne.
-Neil