What’s a job you would like to do for just one day?
I’ve always wanted to be involved in anything space related. My dreams have evolved.
I’ll build a wall in space, cabron…and have Mexico pay for it
I saw Apollo 13. A trio of astronauts bypass their moon mission after something went wrong. They had just succeeded Apollo 11, which became the first successful lunar mission.
‘Houston, we have a problem.’
‘Do you copy?’
This became one of cinema’s most iconic lines. They lose connection for minutes.
The room is full of tension. It’s deadly silent. You could her a pin drop.
‘Houston, we copy.’
Jubilation and high fives. Cigars are lit. Engineers jump for joy.
In case you’re wondering, NASA’s Houston Command Centre is still operational. Staffed 24/7, it oversees missions to the International Space Station. It’s like Sydney’s Central Station, where ground controllers try to avert mangled bodies during rush hour.
Indiana Jones
I remember our high school valedictorian. This guy who fancied her dreamed of being an archeologist. She joked ‘What is he going to dig up? What hideous skeletons will he recover?’
If I work at headquarters for one day, I would say ‘Elon, we have a problem.’
I can scarcely imagine a room full of technicians who are seeing nothing but error messages on their screens. Though I’ve never seen the full Kubrick picture, it seems like a scene straight from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Imagine all those think tanks trying to solve a technological issue. That’s something textbooks cannot teach you.
In a sense, this is similar to writing books. The academic and casual essays may have started it. Yet there’s no crash course in self-publishing. Crafting books in various forms is beyond the blackboard or course reader. You work for your own luck.
In the sitcom Big Bang Theory, Howard Walowitz becomes an astronaut. He doesn’t hold a PhD. Howard yearns to have a cool nickname. He plays the song Rocket Man so that his fellow spacemen will call him as such.
He admits that Mass is quite apt, given that E=mc squared. His coworker says that it’s just short for Massimo. While talking on the phone, his mum asks if he wants some Fruit Loops. The name stuck.
Interestingly, Elon, the world’s richest man, had a cameo in the sitcom. He and Howard run into each other in the soup kitchen.
‘For one more day’
Working at the centre, even just for a day, feels like making a big difference in space exploration. You don’t have to be the CEO or even middle management. A spot as a functionary is enough. It’s sufficient to satisfy my cravings of contributing to the stars. There may be cooler job titles. A surfing champion. A race car driver. A world beating mountaineer. An NBA star. An in-demand model/actor.
Your job doesn’t have to be flashy. You don’t need to stand out. Or to impress others because you can. The most rewarding jobs are those that recalibrate frontiers. Callings that will advance our understanding for years or decades onward. That’s why we need innovators like Elon and Steph Curry. Tennis greats like Novak Djokovic. Surfers like Kelly Slater.
The Greats
Elon showed the world that rockets can be reused, saving NASA billions of $$$. It wasn’t always rosy for him. At the start, they had teething problems. It seemed like a massive waste of time and effort. The whole crew was ready to throw in the towel. However, Musk persevered and they righted the ship. The rest is history.
Meanwhile, Steph Curry revolutionised the art of the three pointer. Though unimposing, he blitzed defences with his on the move release. His quick trigger and def handles confounded the league. He shot his way to four NBA titles.
Finally, Novak brought a new kind of defence and court coverage to tennis. He is arguably the finest returner the game’s ever seen. His long arms and lean physique made it very hard for any player to win rallies. He reminds me of Rudy Gobert in basketball. His 7-9 wingspan separates him from the pack. He’s earned 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Novak wore his heart of the sleeve. He and Rafa are the sport’s toughest competitors. Like Nadal, he never quits on a play. Scoring a point or taking off a set off him is quite difficult. If you’ve bested him, you earned it.
Nole’s won a record ten Aussie Opens. Melbourne Park is his favourite meet. With 24 grand slams, by acclamation, he’s the greatest tennis player ever.
The Mayfly Dynamic
Mayflies only live for a day. This WordPress prompt is basically a mayfly job. What will you do in a day of dreams? ‘Will you capture it or let it slip?’
Ensuing generations will not remember Fruit Loops or Mass. They are but pawns in the cosmos. A true mayfly grasps that their time is limited. ‘Make the most of now.’
Sometimes, you don’t always have to finish something to prove your mettle. Numbers are overrated. One day out of a lifetime is enough to leave your mark.
