I was recently rewatching parts of "From the Earth to the Moon". It's an HBO mini-series that came out several years ago about the U.S.A. Apollo space program. It's one of the finest mini-series I have ever seen. If you liked "The Right Stuff" and "Apollo 13", this is a fine companion piece to both these films.
One of the episodes is entitled "Is That All There Is". It's my favorite of the series. The episode centers on the Apollo 12 mission, the second moon landing. More specificly it is from the perspective of astronaut Alan Bean, the fourth man to set foot on the moon.
After spending two days on the moon with mission commander Pete Conrad, the astronauts had redocked with the Command Capsule and were preparing for the trip home. Bean was staring out the window at the lunar surface when Conrad asked him what was up.
" Is that all there is?", Bean said.
" Ya know, Al Bean.... I was just thinking the same thing", was Conrads reply.
Here were two men that had just taken the greatest journey in human history. They had spent two days walking on the moon, 280,000 miles from Earth. And what were they thinking?
Is that all there is?
I blogged about this very subject on MySpace almost a year ago. It keeps coming up in my head.
I mean, if you can go to the moon... do something only a handfull of people have ever done... then pose that question... what do I say about my life? I'll never do something that extrodinary, ever.
I look out the window all the time and think... is that all there is? Would I still think that way if I...
won the lottery?
found a cure for cancer?
had children?
became famous?
walked on the moon?
The evidence would seem to indicate that I might.
Are we really that hollow inside that the events in our lives, great and small, still leave us wanting more?
I wonder if there are any people that don't ask that question. They find what they are looking for in things like family, friends, faith, golf...... but maybe, in a quiet moment alone, they look out at the horizon and think.... is that all there is?
At the end of the episode, Alan Bean comes to the realization that the only things we really have are the moments we spend with the people we love. And really.... that's all there is. Is that just one, big rationalization? Could be. But it's one that I hang on to.
You see.... I don't play golf. I've never had children. I'm not sure if I believe in God or not. I will never cure cancer. And I will never walk on the moon.
But I will have a house full of friends this weekend. We'll shoot pool, eat chicken wings, watch football, and laugh and talk and laugh.
And that's really all there is.
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3 comments:
That was excellent. I love this theory. Even if we accomplish our hopes and our dreams, we'll still feel unfullfilled. I think it's okay. It pushes us on to the next big dream. Those are the inventors and philosophers that change our world.
The men that land on the moon, they shouldn't just stop there. What's next? Get a new dream now. On to the next big accomplishment.
I don't think that means that they're unhappy. I think you can feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and perfect peace in reaching that ultimate goal. However, sometimes once you do, it gives you a new perspective. Maybe there is an even higher peak beyond the mountain you're climbing.
Even though I have children I don't feel that they fill my life comletely. It doesn't mean I love them any less. It just means that I have enough passion in me to do more.
You are fortunate to have the life you do. You have a wonderful sense of humor and friends who understand you. That's just as important as walking on the moon. But, what do you want NEXT?
SHANDI: What do I want next?
Happiness, a meaningful relationship, an endless supply of Ben&Jerrys..... Not a lot to ask for, is it?
But you're right. I am fortunate. So are you. Nice place to be, ain't it?
I always wondered how Neil Armstrong felt after being the first man to set foot on the moon and flubbing his lines ("That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" instead of "That's one small step for A man, one giant leap for mankind." That aside, I also wondered how you top something like that in your life. Because I have always found that life is one carrot on a stick after another. If you run out of carrots you just sit there without much reason to get out of your chair.
I started a family pretty late in my life. I'm kind of glad I waited. I've got lots to keep me busy until I run out of carrots. :)
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