Asleep

It has bugged me for quite some time that I couldn't remember where I was when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon exactly 40 years ago today. I knew I was in Norway, on Grandpa's family farm in Mundal (in Lindås, not the Mundal in Sogn that former vice-president Mondale came from) and that they had a TV. I can still see my granduncle's living room and the TV in the corner.

So where was I?

I'd forgotten something, but a Norwegian radio commentator reminded me today: With the time difference it was actually a few minutes past midnight on July 21 in Norway when man first walked landed on the moon. And at that time of night, an eight year old is in bed. Asleep.

But I remember all the grown-ups talking about it the next day. They had stayed up and watched.

I wish humanity could get behind something as equally awesome as going to the moon. All the can-do spirit, all the sharing of hopes and dreams, all the willingness to accept risk. Millions of individuals with a shared vision! I am grateful I was a youngster in the 60's, surrounded by adults who'd rather be thrilled by outer space than discuss wars and nukes around a child. What a good energy!

I am still thrilled by our landing on the moon. I just wish we could do it - or something similar - again.