Felix Baumgartner went into space in a balloon capsule, got into the stratosphere, executed a free fall parachute jump from 128,000 feet (about 24 miles) and broke the speed of sound. These facts are awe inspiring. However, there are two facts that inspire me even more: Baumgartner's trust in mission control's Joe Kittinger and his personal dedication to the mission.
In 1960, Joe Kittinger jumped from a balloon that was at 102,800 feet. Though Felix broke the record for highest balloon jump yesterday, Kittinger still holds the record for the longest time in free fall. Mr. Kittinger had a successful Air Force career, survived a Vietnamese prison camp and is considered an elder statesman of aeronautics. Kittinger was Baumgartner's radio point of contact during yesterday's jump. Kittinger talked the space jumper through his check lists, calmly insisted on replies to questions and, when the jumper was in the door, told him " our guardian angel will look after you now." For the parent, the parallels to parenting are profound.
My son is on the verge of manhood. We are still in a position to give advice and direction. It's an exciting time for him. He's forming his own opinions and deciding what kind of man he wants to be. I feel good when he bounces ideas off us. I feel elated when he takes initiative and when he is strong in who he is.
Like Felix, my son will eventually need his own fortitude. The space jumper admits that there were times he thought about giving up on the mission. There were periods where he had to regroup. Our lives are like that too. There will come a point when all our advice, and my son's training, will be called upon. My hope is that he will leap with both feet. I pray that he, like Felix, will realize that he is small compared to the world, but that he can still make a difference. Like mission control, I am nervous, but confident. When children use their wings they surprise themselves and inspire others. I will give up control and watch him soar, but I'll be praying a quiet prayer for guardian angels too.
In 1960, Joe Kittinger jumped from a balloon that was at 102,800 feet. Though Felix broke the record for highest balloon jump yesterday, Kittinger still holds the record for the longest time in free fall. Mr. Kittinger had a successful Air Force career, survived a Vietnamese prison camp and is considered an elder statesman of aeronautics. Kittinger was Baumgartner's radio point of contact during yesterday's jump. Kittinger talked the space jumper through his check lists, calmly insisted on replies to questions and, when the jumper was in the door, told him " our guardian angel will look after you now." For the parent, the parallels to parenting are profound.
My son is on the verge of manhood. We are still in a position to give advice and direction. It's an exciting time for him. He's forming his own opinions and deciding what kind of man he wants to be. I feel good when he bounces ideas off us. I feel elated when he takes initiative and when he is strong in who he is.
No comments:
Post a Comment