Bamps (10-06-2014), Blackboy98 (10-06-2014), MikeLynn (10-05-2014), Scoutpout (10-06-2014), Sir Winston (10-06-2014), Snowshoe (10-06-2014)
Last night I had the opportunity to see Colonel, Astronaut, Chris Hadfield talk at the Chatham Capitol Theatre.
You may remember him from his stint in command ot the International Space Station (ISS) early last year. He tweeted several times daily, sharing photographs and impressions of the ever changing vista below.
Last nights talk was marvellous. He was engaging, articulate, funny, moving, passionate.
Engaging and articulate. He talked for 90 minutes and did so completely off the cuff - no notes, no cribbing, no script other than what was in his head and his heart.
Funny. Quite a few laughs. One involved preparing for his second mission on the Space Shuttle. Dressing in black socks, then putting on a diaper. A diaper with rockets and astronauts around the waistband. True or not I can't say but very funny. Once seated in the Shuttle, a technician gave him a note from his wife - 'Don't die. But if you do I have insurance.' Then delivered a kiss from her - on his forehead.
Moving. He said his most real, most moving, involving thing was the schoolkid singalong in May 2013 when several hundred thousand Canadian schoolkids sang simultaneously a song that he and a guy (whose name escapes me) from the Barenaked Ladies co-wrote for the occasion. He may be an engineer, test pilot, astronaut, learned languages, done lots of tech stuff, but he seemed to be very moved to have been a part of an artistic achievement.
Passionate. Of course he believes that the investment, the expenditure of money in the space program is money well spent. Col. Hadfield also pointed out that the ISS is a collaborative effort between many nations who have had serious disagreements and even been at war in the lifetimes of many people still alive. We're in space and need to stay in space because humans explore, that's what we do.
He took a few questions. Responding to 'What would you say as an adult if you could visit yourself as a child?' he replied 'Trust yourself.'
Then he played his guitar, playing a couple verses from the song he co-wrote, and several verses from 'Space Oddity.' He sings in a wonderful tenor.
It was an engaging, inspiring, uplifting evening. Worth every penny and every minute.
Andrew, Faye, Fitzi, and Lucy
Not gone, only gone on ahead - Bruno, Rex, BoJo, Kendal, Kingsley, Moonpie, Avis, Corndog, Stella, and now Achilles
I invite you to visit my blog, Hidden Content .
Bamps (10-06-2014), Blackboy98 (10-06-2014), MikeLynn (10-05-2014), Scoutpout (10-06-2014), Sir Winston (10-06-2014), Snowshoe (10-06-2014)
Sounds awesome. Every astronaut I've ever heard speak has been interesting. And a Bowie fan to top it off? Even better.
Did he mention whether he'd heard anything from Bowie?
Mr Kleb (10-07-2014)
Mr Kleb (10-07-2014)
Andrew, Faye, Fitzi, and Lucy
Not gone, only gone on ahead - Bruno, Rex, BoJo, Kendal, Kingsley, Moonpie, Avis, Corndog, Stella, and now Achilles
I invite you to visit my blog, Hidden Content .
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