I always say you never know the next time inspiration will sneak up on you. For me it occurred while wondering what to watch after seeing yet another rerun of The Big Bang Theory (the comedy series, not the theory behind the creation of the universe). That’s when Lee stumbled upon a documentary entitled, Good Night Oppy. Moments into it, I knew I was in for a treat, because as many of you know, one of my first loves in life was science, and NASA. If you weren’t aware, here’s the preface to my tween sci-fi series, The Story of Q.
“While attending elementary school, I developed a real passion for science and space. While many of my friends were playing outside, I remained glued to my black and white TV set, eagerly watching the Mercury astronauts make their first brave attempts to go where no man had gone before. I even had a scrapbook (I still have it) with carefully cutout newspaper articles regarding the astronauts and their trips beyond the atmosphere. I was so enthralled that I sat in my room one day, carefully removed a piece of lined paper from my writing pad and scribbled off a note to NASA. I don’t believe I actually expected to receive a reply from the men who made it all happen; I simply wanted to share my unabated enthusiasm with anyone who cared to listen.
So, imagine my surprise when my mother and father handed me an envelope from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I was on cloud nine while I excitedly tore open that manila envelope with shaking hands. Lo and behold, they not only responded to my letter, but they also included seven 8 X 10, color photographs of the original Mercury 7. I was in heaven and immediately hung their images on the walls of my bedroom, alongside my collection of dolls and pictures of rock stars. Hey, I had eclectic taste.
To this day, I maintain my love of the heavens, and everything associated with them. While I never got the chance to work at NASA, I can still dream big and hope that young girls like Rachael, keep reaching towards the stars.”
And for me, Good Night Oppy, brought back all those feelings I first experienced as a young child. It’s a story filled with love, determination, hard work, epic failures, and colossal triumphs. The love I mention goes beyond the elation you get from working at something you enjoy, because the two robots also became children to the hundreds who shared in the experience. It was a special bond that I felt too.
Viewing this documentary reminded me that most things don’t occur overnight. Sometimes it takes, days, weeks, months, years, or even decades to accomplish your goals. As a writer I sometimes get impatient. “I wrote a great book, why isn’t it flying off the shelves?” However, I must remind myself that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and after watching this inspiring film, I know that I have what it takes, but I just need the fortitude to see it through.
It took ten years before NASA even accepted the proposal for the mission. Then years of preparation filled with numerous ups and downs as they built the actual rovers and calculated how to land them safely on hostile terrain. Finally, in January 2004, the two robotic geologists/engineers, took to the skies while the team back on Earth nervously awaited for them to touch down six months later in January 2004.
The expected life of the mission was a ninety-day trek across Mars to search and characterize soil and rocks that held clues to any past water activity on the dusty planet. Instead, Spirit and Opportunity (Oppy), surprised everyone by continuing their investigations until March 22, 2010, and June 10, 2014, respectively, the last time that a signal was sent to Earth.
Good things come to those who wait…
For those who are interested in seeing the entire documentary
For those interested in my latest book – Discovering BTS
