One Small Step...

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Forty-two years ago today, Neil Armstrong climbed down a ladder and stepped into the history books as the first man to ever walk on the moon.

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His famous first words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" probably roll off the tongue quite easily for most people - history buffs or not.

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But how about the words from the third man to step foot onto the moon? Do you even know his name? Probably not. But I think you should because his first words make me laugh. And considering the number of men who have walked on the moon is a pretty exclusive club, it's rather sad how little we, as Americans, know about them.  

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Not to pull a Brian Regan here, but they walked.on.the.moon. I think that's kind of a big deal.

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But don't feel too bad - I've only recently become a {slight} space nut when I (re)watched Tom Hanks mini-series From the Earth to the Moon with my sister (who happens to be old enough to remember watching Armstrong and Aldrin step off of Apollo 11 onto the surface of the moon). That's when I learned about Pete Conrad's first words, "Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that's a long one for me."

The crew of Apollo 12: Pete Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Alan Bean

So to celebrate man landing on the moon, I would highly encourage you to get your hands on a copy of From the Earth to the Moon (which happens to be $15.49 right now at Amazon), or pop in Apollo 13 (warning if you're watching with kids: there is language in both the miniseries and the movie) and take some time to learn more about the history of space exploration. I think you'll be surprised by how much you enjoy it.

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Remember, it only took one small step to change the course of history, so on a personal level, perhaps it's time to look around you and see what small steps you (and I) could be taking to change the course of our lives and to write our own history. Food for thought...