I Love the Space Shuttle

Whether or not you consider yourself a fan of the space program, I highly recommend the four-part, docuseries, Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight. It’s sad, of course, but so well done. It reminded me of how fortunate I was to witness up close and personal much of the space shuttle program and how that experience culminated – go figure – in writing.

When it was announced that the Space Shuttle program was ending, I sat down and poured out my feelings for the space plane, which mesmerized me from the first moment I laid eyes on it. Originally titled, I Love the Space Shuttle, I submitted my “masterpiece” to our local newspaper’s Op-Ed page.

I, of course, felt that all 837 words were perfect. So, when the editor at the time, John Glisch, told me it was too long and would have to be cut almost in half, I said, “Are you kidding? I couldn’t possibly say everything in so few words.”

“The Gettysburg Address is 272 words,” was his response.

Years later I went to work at Eastern Florida State College and who would be one of my co-workers, but one John Glisch.

I waited a few weeks after we were introduced to tell John my story.

“I used The Address line on you,” he chuckled. “That was a good one. It never failed me.”

If I’m being honest, the article below which ran on January 8, 2010, is much better than the wordy original.

Touché, John Glisch.