Jerry Brotherton Poet Haibun

July 21st, 1969

July 21st, 1969 / No Need to Play
It was 9:56 AM as I sat in the living room with my eyes glued to the television, and heard Neal Armstrong proclaim to the universe, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” For a twelve-year old’s imagination, hopes and dreams, this was not just a step onto the moon, but a step into the heavens. My heart pounded and my mind raced at what promised to be the beginning of a new way of life. My God, we’d just touched the surface of another world. Nothing would ever be the same again. If we could do this then there would be no problems that mankind could not overcome. Overpopulation, famine and war would no longer haunt us. Star Trek had it right all along. We were now free to move among the stars. Surely, it would only be a matter of a few years and there would be a colony on the Moon, then Mars and then beyond our solar system. The expanse of the universe was now our playground. Nothing can hold humanity back. By the end of the week, baseball, fishing, and summer days had pushed the momentous occasion out of my mind. 

Without a grand prize
who care if there’s a winner;
humanity lost

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Gershon Wolf July 7, 2024 at 10:27 AM Yeah, the possibilities seemed limitless back then, didn't they, as you're reminded us. If I remember right, a lot of the computer code used for tracking, etc. was written in FORTRAN IV! .. Yet now, with all our 'technological prowess,' we're stuck in a rut. 'Cos we changed from the can-do nation to the can't-do nation. Thanks for the memories, Jerry! ~ Gershon

Tom Cunningham July 5, 2024 at 10:49 PM Wow, that takes me back Jerry, I remember it well. The whole world was glued to their tv's. A fantastic achievement, there's still so much to discover out there. Tom Jerry Brotherton July 6, 2024 at 8:41 AM Imagine where we would be if the space program had not stalled for 50 years.