When I reacquire the radio signal I will state the mission status and Houston will copy that and all will be well. Sometimes Houston asks me to repeat what I have already said. So I will state the mission status again if they ask me to. I will speak clearly and calmly and precisely and they will copy that and all will be well.
Most mothers go to their children’s special events and wave and clap and take pictures and hold signs and cheer. My children come to my special events and wave and clap and take pictures and hold signs and cheer. Most children do not have a mother who goes to the moon. Most children love and admire the people the president sends to the moon.
John will ask what they would like for dinner.
I cannot remember when Jonah and Ruth get out of school everyday but it might be at 4:05. 4:05 is when the bell rings and all the children make noise for the end of the school day. The children make noise in my head but I have never actually heard them. After 4:05 the children ride home on buses or with their parents, and they do their homework and eat their dinner and do their chores and go to bed on time. 4:05 is the end of school for the day and then it is everything else. I never picked up Jonah and Ruth at school. I never made it to 4:05.
Failure is not an option.
Ruth is trying to break the 400-meter record for freestyle swimming. She is trying to hit the 4:05 mark. When I ran track in school I tried to hit the 4:05 mark for the mile. They all said that I would never hit 4:05. I never told Ruth that hitting 4:05 for the 400-meter freestyle is almost impossible at her age. When I left for the moon Ruth was still trying to hit 4:05. I am still trying to hit 4:05. My children are still waiting at 4:05. I was supposed to leave LOS at 4:05. Failure is not an option.
