80's on the 28th.....25 years ago today

Generally I try to keep my blog postings light hearted and funny (well funny to me) especially with my 80's on the 8th portion. Also I never know what I'm going to reminisce about until the moment I actually log in and start typing. But today when I saw a bunch of tweets about what happened 25 years ago today I knew I had to touch on this subject. A lot of lives were changed January 28, 1986. I know my wife had wanted to be an astronaut until then and what little kid didn't. A nation full of students were going to live out those dreams as we were all going to be a part of this mission because of Christa McAuliffe and the Teach in Space Project.
That day I was probably more concerned about what I was getting for my birthday in a few weeks rather than witnessing history. But as our own teachers were turning on the TVs and telling us how big a moment this was actually going to be and then all the lessons from space we'd be tuning in for from the teacher on the shuttle the excitement was there. I can't imagine the number of students across the country in countless classrooms all participating in the countdown. Unfortunately a lot can change in 73 seconds.
That night I remember Ronald Reagan speaking as it turned out that was to be his regularly scheduled State of the Union address. It's probably the 1st time I paid attention to a presidential speech instead of throwing a fit because it was interrupting the A-Team or MacGyver and he closed it with this line from High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.

We will never forget them, nor the last time we  saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and 'slipped the surly bonds of Earth' to 'touch the face of God.

Then a few days later he had this to say at the memorial :

Sometimes, when we reach for the stars, we fall short. But we must pick ourselves up again and press on despite the pain.

It surely doesn't feel like this event took place 25 years ago. I don't say that because I'm struggling with how old I'm getting but I think because in being a part of this generation we've seen more than our fair share of disasters take place. Generally these come in the natural category and affect people in other countries but as a generation of would be astronauts sat glued to the TVs in their classrooms a realization was thrust upon us that even our heroes are not Superman and indestructible.

With even more recent shuttle disasters it makes me not want my own kids to dream of being astronauts. But considering they've grown up with Buzz Lightyear I can only hope they like Woody better.