Endeavour

Before I became a stay-at-home-mom I had a full-time, money-paying job.  Some days I miss both the job, and the money.  I don't miss the drive.  I don't miss the aggravations that sometimes came with working with a lot of other people, with deadlines and insufficient help.  I do miss some of the people I worked with.  I miss the routines - they really kept me in check. 

The company I worked for made a very important part for the space shuttle.  In fact, without that part, those shuttles would not be in the air!  .

This morning, I watched the television broadcast of the shuttle Endeavour as it made it's rounds over significant locations on the West Coast.  It evoked some teary eyes.  I had pride in the product our company built.  I had pride in the end product (the shuttle) that those parts went onto.  I had pride in NASA and our space program.  One day, I would love to be able to visit the location where the Endeavour will be housed.  I understand visitors will be able to view the insides - I can only imagine. 

I remember too well the days we, as a company, as a nation, as a global body, lost the Challenger, and later the Columbia, though I was no longer working there when we lost the Columbia. Those days were very hard, and very somber.  Today was bittersweet for me.  I remembered all the times at my job with my co-workers, and though my job was in Telecommunications, a supporting job rather a hands-on one, it was exciting to be a part of the great adventure of space exploration and scientific learning that came about because of the space shuttle and the space station.  It's sad to see one era of that end, but sweet to know that there is a future whether large or small depending on whatever administration at the time funds it.  I have a friend involved with the Mars explorations.  As Bud Lightyear would say "To infinity and beyond!".

photo from: http://gimp-savvy.com/cgi-bin/img.cgi?nasa5JGpG6DM8Ro2021