As I continue to make the most of this downtime for the business (I have already cleaned out several boxes and cabinets) I watched Shadow of the Moon with my kids this evening. It is a documentary about the Apollo missions to put men on the moon. Wow. Over the course of our history there are many fine moments, this is one of them. Now, almost forty years later I vaguely remember the coverage on the news. I also knew I had a book in one of those boxes I didn’t go through that my father got for me from a Gulf gas station in the fall of 1969 that told all about our space activities. I dug that out for the kids. That was fun to share.

The movie reminded me of the great things our nation is capable of. Watching the movie with my kids reminded me that I need to do more of that. Sharing the book with them made me hopeful that I give them something they will cherish.

And now you. What are you doing to make a difference, to be a person of impact? What legacy will you leave? Each of the Apollo astronauts talked about being part of a special fraternity but they were more gratified to be part of the human race and be on this planet. A life giving planet in the midst of black space. They could hide the earth behind their thumb as they viewed it from the moon but they could not forget its beauty and humanity.

We have work to do. We have not been good stewards of our planet in those 40 years. The problems are vast but that is not excuse to do nothing. In fact, it is a mandate to do something. The New Year is around the corner. As good a time as any to get started. Have at it!

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