The Ability Imperative

"The ability imperative - If you can, you must."

Last week we visited the Kennedy Space Center, adjacent to Cape Canaveral, Florida. It was an amazing day; one of my favorite vacation days ever. We watched a video of the 1960's era race to the moon, and watched a video of the launch in a room with the actual equipment (monitors, phones, etc) used at the time of the Apollo launch. How antiquated and cumbersome it all looked! I probably have more technology on my phone than they did in a mainframe, yet they managed to reach the moon. I was overcome by the sense of imperative and drive, the energy and the dreaminess of that time. After the video we got to see the actual rocket, which is retired in a museum of its own.

We also watched an inspiring video of the shuttle program, featuring the shuttle Atlantis. At the end of the wonderful movie, which detailed 12 years of research and engineering work required to build and launch the shuttle. the movie curtains opened to show the actual Atlantis, on its side in another massive museum. I didn't expect it, and embarrassingly, I burst into tears. I felt transported by this sense of the ability imperative: if you can do it, you must, and I wondered where this imperative has gone to ground in this day and age.

The end of every presentation, especially the bus ride around the Vehicle Assembly Building and the launch pad (we got to stand in the fire / blast zone!) ended with the words, "this program is over." The kids were sad at the thought of the space programs ending, and for the first time, I was too. I told Aden and William that the efforts of their time would be toward renewable energy and technologies to protect our future, and I hope I'm right. We need the dream to motivate us, not the fear, and dreams are beautiful.