Grounded in Space



Neil Armstrong (1930-2012)

We lost a historical icon Saturday. I heard the primetime soundbytes, and I saw the internet slideshows; but Anthony Lane's recent New Yorker article was the first tribute that really got me thinking about Neil Armstrong.

 

 

I can't say Amstrong's passing elicited a particular pang of nostalgia or national pride from me. I wasn't around in 1969, eyes glued to the television as I watched the lunar module teeter toward ground. Heck, my only encounter with space exploration has been seeing Tom Hanks sweat in Apollo 13.

 

 

The lunar missions were incredibly important; I won't deny their validity. But honestly, the thing that truly intrigues me about Armstrong is what Lane pointed out:

"[Armstrong] certainly belongs to that chastening group of beings whose capacity for heroic action is outstripped only by their reluctance to make a big deal out of it, let alone a profit...by dint of being the first man to tread not upon terra firma but upon the gray dust of terra incognita, [Armstrong] rose above the fray and stayed there."

 

The man on the moon stayed grounded.

There's something so admirable about those whose modesty exceeds their celebrity. Armstrong became a teacher. George Washington held office for a mere two terms. Even Harper Lee has famously shyed from media attention: she said what she needed to say. 

 

In a cheeky and idealistic commencement address at the University of Pennsylvania, Irish rock star Bono professed his love for the red, white, and blue:

"America's not just a country--it's an idea...The idea that anything is possible--That's one of the reasons why I'm a fan of America. It's like 'Hey, look! There's the moon up there! Let's go take a walk on it! Bring back a piece of it!' That's the kind of America I'm a fan of. "

 

Armstrong brought back a piece of the sky; but more importantly, he lived as an example of national character. We will continue to break new horizons. Let's hope tomorrow's heroes do so with the same level of grace and humility.