This goes out to everyone who’s wondered if they measure up (or down) enough.
By attending the GOES-R Satellite launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, I was completing a bucket list item. More than that though, I want to help tell the story of why space exploration still matters, matters more than ever. Since Colorado is consistently among the top three states for aerospace jobs, I’ve been working with the industry for four years now. I admire those who work in technology and engineering, wishing I had what it takes to understand rocket science.
Not wanting to spend the whole weekend just giggling in awe, I’d been studying up on aerospace. It paid off with me having at least a vague understanding of solar rays and propulsion systems. It was thrilling down to the last feasible moments of the launch window when Control finally gave all the “go’s” for the GOES. The Atlas V rocket blasted off with a grace that belied its explosive power.
At post-launch reception at a bar/restaurant in Cape Canaveral, a patron unrelated to the launch approached me. I was on my way back to the hotel, but I had stopped at a table outside to enjoy the breeze for a moment.
The man offered me a drink, but I told him that I was planning on an early start at Kennedy Space Center in the morning. This was full disclosure, as in, just because a guy says hello doesn’t mean I automatically assume that he’s hitting on me. But at 11 PM at a bar, I didn’t want to lead him on if he was looking for company all night.
We still started chatting, and it was really solid conversation, as far as conversing with a stranger goes. In about fifteen minutes, we touched on spirituality, politics, his “Old Lady” and his Harley, brave pioneers, even 60’s sci-fi. I am such a sucker for anyone who can talk original episodes of “The Twilight Zone.” He’s the kind of person I thought I’d want to talk with more.
He commended the discussion as well: “It’s great talking with you. You know, you’re a lot smarter than I first thought.”
Me: Forced smile, dubious eyes as I realized it was not, in fact, a compliment.
Him: “Girl, I want to give you the best advice ever…” He leans in a bit, and I’m eager to hear what he has to say. Maybe he’s a guru. Maybe he’s a guardian angel. Maybe he’s the grand owner of the whole beach. I could overlook his previous comment if he said something really sweet and insightful. He continued, “I have the secret for you… the secret to… lasting, effective weight loss.”
Me: Dumbfounded smile, flashing eyes. “Excuse me? I thought we were talking about how this new satellite may help save lives by predicting tornadoes sooner. Who said anything about weight loss?”
Him: “Come on, girlie, you must care about that extra junk in your trunk.”
Me: Crumpled smile, quizzical eyes. He reaches toward me under the table as if to confirm his “ass”essment of my figure. I hop off the barstool to avoid his hand.
Him: “Aw, don’t leave. I really like talking with you. I just figured, you’re so pretty, but you’re pretty smart. Don’t you want to be skinny too? I mean, you’d get so much farther in life without a fat ass.”
I finally got ticked off for a moment, but not at him. I was mad at myself for a nagging thought I have whenever I hear people talk about STEM education (which is several times per week, in my field): Maybe if I’d have spent half as much time studying calculus as I had counting calories, I’d be engineering for aerospace myself instead of just watching and writing about it.
This guy was telling me how much farther I’d get if I was more booty-conscious. But I was wondering how much farther I’d have gotten if I’d been less body-conscious.
My mind drifted back in space to high school. I don’t really dwell much on the past. How far away are those days of who we might have been! Bringing my mind to present day reminded me just how far. College dropout turned graduate… Assault and stalker victim turned survivor… Administrative assistant turned communications director… Almost daily drinker turned occasional social sipper… Serial dater turned solo-and-proud… Indoor kid turned yurt-dweller… Indifferent isolationist turned community activist… Homebody turned global traveler… Unemployable to a VIP view from the launch pad! Wow. It’s like I live in a whole new universe.
Me: Gratified smile, sparkling eyes. “Actually, this ass has gotten me pretty far in life.” Looking pointedly at his frame before walking away, I continued, “And I know a quick way to drop about 160 pounds.”
No, my ass is not very small, but I certainly haven’t spent much time the past few years sitting on it. Fifteen countries, forty-three states, and yes, delicious carbs in every single one! By being forever curious and open to new people, places and plates, I have made it a lot farther in life than I ever could have imagined.
There will always be influences that try to keep us down – that’s gravity, that’s life on Earth. But with some smarts and the power of heart, we can rise above them.
Maybe rocket science isn’t so complicated after all.
Notes:
1. I know you are wondering, “Just how fat IS this woman’s ass?” Well, I wear a size 8 trouser from The Limited. (I don’t know what I will do now that they are going out of business!) For the record, I think women of all shapes and sizes can be beautiful. The average U.S. woman is a 16. If half the average size is what this guy considers fat, I’m curious what size of woman he finally found to go home with that night. I bet she was paper-thin — invisible even!
2. Of the 355 astronauts and cosmonauts who have flown on the space shuttle, 49 have been women. We’ve come light years in terms of advancing opportunities for gender equality, yet there is still a long way to go.
3. Rest in peace to Vera Rubin, who passed away this Christmas Day. Her work as an astronomer lead to the acceptance of “dark matter” and a greater acceptance of women in the field. It did not, however, lead her to a Nobel Prize. It’s been more than fifty years since the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to a woman, in fact.
4. STEM education isn’t the path for everyone, but please encourage the youth you know to give it a shot. Rather than dissuading them like, “You’re so much better with words/balls/brushes than numbers,” how about, “With some extra studying, you could be just as good with numbers as you are with words/balls/brushes.” While that might be a bit of a stretch, so is believing that your team will win the World Series next year. We can find faith in some pretty wild ideas. Maybe you have a budding astrophysicist under the surface of a wordsmith, athlete or an artist after all. Or all four!
Your voice matters!