a homage to the space age, 1961-1972.

i've always wanted to fly to the moon, ever since i was a child and stared up to the pale disk with it's strangely pastel, milk and chocolate features that so reliably turned up its face in my starry nights. i wanted to climb whatever rocket they would invent for me, put on whatever shiny space suit, jump out of the hatch and thumb down with my rubber boots into the powdery dust resting up there untouched for aeons... and i wanted to fly over it, like the only 12 apollo astronauts who landed on our beautiful companion of this overcrowded, sweet spotted planet.

but somehow, this future ended just when i started to get conscious about what it meant. 1972, when i was 10 and had my first experience with all those questions nobody could answer, with demands unfulfilled and limits just being placed right in front of my eyes, i was about to understand what my place in this world would be - and it would be a place IN this world, not on top of it. somehow, we all got hangovered by oil crisis, overpopulation and the completely stupid power squabbles over religions, ideologies and national arrogance. and forgot about the only true lesson god ever gave us - that YES WE CAN get there, all of us, if we do it together.

and yes, i know, we all have better things to do today than waste our time with space exploration, conquering the void called universe, get our lazy bones out of this gravitational hole and develop the ability to spread the human virus to other worlds, all of which are OURS to take (except europa, attempt no landing there). i know all this sounds preposterous, from the perspective of today. but during the space age, we still had a goal, something worth fighting for, a place for our children to dream, a direction to go. ever since then... it's back to the old running in circles around the golden cow and "you hit me - i hit you" games we're all playing with the neighbour kids in the sandbox.

i wish those aliens finally showed up and shut down this place for mining.

Always glad to see your posts. Always thought provoking, probing, straddling the edge. And I want to go that place again from my childhood, where folks cared about one another. But alas, it is so hard to remain hopeful for humanity. So yes, bring on the aliens. Peace! Lsample · 2012-05-09: 06:28

dreaming and fighting are not the same category, i guess, unless it is about dreaming of not fighting. additional tags (from your link): hasselblad and color film lyency · 2012-05-09: 12:29

I certainly seems that "mankind's" ambition has become somewhat stunted over the years... I remember as a young kid sitting in front of a painfully poor black and white tv screen watching blurred pictures of the first Apollo landing on the moon in 69. Just think what today's 6-year olds will have to remember.... some tawdry reality tv show with wanna-be celebrities fighting for their 15 minutes of fame. Some zeitgeist. davids · 2012-05-09: 12:32

how about this Trip To The Moon ? :) Nychthemeron · 2012-05-09: 14:39

Very thought-provoking and so true. Great pic also and yes bring on the aliens! mariadamaris · 2012-05-09: 16:10

nice one, your posts fascinate me!! :) FitrPhotography · 2012-05-09: 16:31

Your writing makes me curious what a 10 year old of today "dreams" of... I don't know any or I'd ask them. I only know 5 year olds who 'dream' of the same things 5 year olds have dreamed about for centuries, to be a doctor, or a queen... but what do children old enough to THINK, dream of... perhaps you need to investigate so that you can rest assured that the dreaming of the young hasn't stopped... or maybe it has. ?? DancingDolphin · 2012-05-09: 17:03

Great shot! interesting post as well! TEOMONTANA · 2012-05-09: 19:38

interesting. i got really sidetracked on reading about the hasselblad as a part of this amazing endeavor. i relate to the fascination of the moon to be sure. i often imagine the physical feelings being cocooned into a spaceship like that and it makes me feel claustrophobic but also fascinating. great post! rmjannette · 2012-05-15: 17:20

Tagged: erathrise spaceage future history thestolendreamsofmychildhood passion yourenotalone subtext