July 20th is Neil’s 50th anniversary. “Who is Neil?” you ask. “Why should his anniversary matter to me?”
As a boy, Neil moved around a lot, living in 16 towns. He was only the second person in his family to attend college. He attended Purdue University and received average grades. He served in the Navy as a Naval Aviator where he flew on many dangerous missions in Korea. After this service, he returned to college, wrote and co-directed a musical, and graduated with a B average.
Neil’s adult life continued to have ups and downs: He was married in 1956 and he and his wife had three children; however, their second child died at age 3. As a research test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base he experienced many close calls in airplane accidents. There may not have been a “defining moment” where he decided to be an astronaut, but one step at a time led him there. He showed us by this example that any giant leap starts with one small step.
You see, July 20th is the anniversary of the day Neil Armstrong walked on the moon for all of us.[1]
We all have events from long ago that we remember like they were yesterday. This one is like that for me. I remember the anticipation and excitement waiting for this to happen. As Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, I was nine, sitting on the family room floor. I remember sitting Indian style, in front of a TV that had legs. 50 years later, TV’s no longer have legs and folks are planning again to return to the moon!
In the vacuum of space, Neil’s boot treads remain where he made that giant leap. One night soon, go outside and muse on the extraordinary accomplishments of this unassuming man.
Neil taught us a lesson. We all have a destiny. We make it happen, one small step at a time.
