The Seniority Factor (and Space Cowboys)

 

Technology is terrific! It has changed the course of millions of lives since the computer has become a household appliance nearly as common as the refrigerator.

 

It was amazing to watch one household of my grandchildren becoming computer literate nearly as soon as they were out of diapers. While they were learning their computer ABCs, so was I. The opportunity presented itself for me to take beginning and intermediate courses in WordPerfect, through a distance learning extension at the local community college. Because of my senior citizen status, the courses cost me next to nothing.

 

Then I went into Microsoft Word. A friend introduced me to the managing editor of a local newspaper who liked my writing. She opened the door for me as a guest columnist, and about once a month during the next three years, she printed every article I gave to her.

 

There was a lot of material from which to draw, because there were three different book manuscripts in the works. It had started with a notebook—a journal—in the '60s.  The habit was formed, and themes kept coming to me. My life was exciting now, because at last I knew that God loved me and was in my every day life. Poems, essays, narratives, historical pieces, and songs, all flowed into the notebooks and were copied on the electronic typewriter. Finally, with the word processing capability of a computer, I was able to fine-tune my writing and bring it to print.

 

Then with the association of a few like-minded people, I started a politically oriented Christian conservative newsletter. Walking down the hall of the university library one day I met a man from the local community musical theater group. (That year the musical Oklahoma! Celebrated its 50^th anniversary. We put on a production and had a great time. At 62 years of age, I was the senior cast member. It was fun knowing that I could still sing and dance, even though I became ill due to fatigue and backstage dust.)

 

Ed told me that he was co-director of the state-of-the-art media communications lab, just down the hall. “Would you like to come take a look?” he said. I probably lit up because he ushered me a few doors down, and into the lab. This began more than a year and a half of hands-on learning with staff always available to help, whenever a regular class was not scheduled in the lab.

 

Here I built desktop publishing skills, more quickly wrote my newspaper columns, began newsletters for two different organizations, incorporating graphics with the text. One Thanksgiving weekend while largely undistracted, I completed a 12-page publication and printed 10 copies. An interesting side note: the piece had to be proofread thirteen times before I was satisfied that it was without error.

 

One copy went to the majority leader of the U.S. Senate. Another went to the governor of Virginia. Both responded with appreciative letters, and the governor asked me for more input regarding Virginia’s public education system.

 

Some years earlier a vision began to grow in me for a ministry that would involve written inspirational material, original music performed “live” and recorded, prayer and counseling linking dedicated prayer ministry with government and industry leadership, who have little time for Bible study, prayer and worship. My new skills in desktop publishing would help facilitate this, I was sure. But the time for Minute Men Today was not yet.

 

Another vision has grown concerning the spiritual needs and potential of senior men and women who no longer have family responsibilities, have retired from their careers, and still have ability and experience which can benefit others. If such a one is vitally connected to the Living God through Jesus Christ, he or she has a great potential for serving God through the last years of their earthly life.

 

Now, this is where the film, “Space Cowboys” comes in.

 

If the reader has seen the film, please pardon this brief recap. Even so, you may be glad after reading the following:

 

 

Space Cowboys deals with a mission run from NASA in Houston, Texas, in which four senior pilots of an earlier time (you know, jet fighters, and all that) are called in to assist a younger team of astronauts on a mission to visit and make adjustments to a satellite put up by Soviet Russia during the Cold War.  These men had silver/white hair now, and had been a tried and tested team. They were patronized by the younger astronauts: “That wasn’t a bad take-off, for a rookie.” one said to the commander piloting the shuttle.

 

When their ship reaches the satellite, the commander suddenly calls a stop to the action until he consults Houston for a critical decision.

 

“Houston, this is not a communications satellite, but a space platform for launching atomic missiles. There are six armed missiles aboard. I cannot in good conscience re-activate the satellite’s potential for destroying human life.”

 

Various solutions are considered. Then a brash young astronaut sneaks out of the shuttle, transferring through space to the satellite and says he is going to do the commander’s job, of connecting to the satellite.

 

From there, one foul-up follows another, with the satellite starting to self-destruct by jettisoning one part after another. The shuttle is damaged, and the computer is disabled.

 

One of the four senior astronauts gently but firmly insists that he will ride the satellite to near earth’s moon, landing himself, then sending the satellite off into space to self-destruct the six atomic missiles, outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

 

In the meantime, things are pretty tense in Houston, as the visiting Russian general is questioned and admits the truth. He adds that some plans were stolen by the KGB during the Cold War, from the present shuttle commander’s private papers. The Houston mission chief angrily calls after the rapidly departing Russian, “That’s a treaty violation!”

 

Aboard the shuttle, the satellite is given the boost it needs to head toward the moon, with the astronaut on board. Then the shuttle senior team—the younger ones disabled by the preceding damage—plot their course back to earth, with Houston’s counsel and prayers. When asked what the odds were for a safe landing on earth, the mission chief says: “None.”

 

So, the commander pilot, bereft of the computer technology for normal shuttle flight, begins to maneuver through Earth’s atmosphere. The astronauts are told to jump and parachute to earth near Florida where rescue ships were waiting. The two remaining senior buddies of the commander, however, refused to leave him and the shuttle, and together the three then approach NASA in Houston. While everyone holds their breath, the pilot-commander successfully lands the shuttle on the airstrip, just as he would a jet that he had flown years before.

 

 So, what is the moral of our story? Just this:

 

When the complicated gadgetry--the bells and whistles--were no longer available, it was the ability, the cool courage and experience of the senior pilot/commander and his buddies, which saved their lives and brought the shuttle safely back to earth. One of them sacrificed his own life to assure destruction of the atomic missiles outside of Earth’s atmosphere.

 

Could there be a bit of prophecy in this story?

Could there be “jet aces” of the Spirit who have been flying for many years in faith and love, and whose greatest missions are yet ahead of them? Can we imagine that grandparents, even great-grandparents whose faith and love have long been tested, can yet make great contributions to God’s kingdom?

 

Well then fellow seniors, since all things are possible to them that believe, fasten your seatbelts, and adjust your helmets! Get ready to meet your junior pilots! It’s time for LIFTOFF!

HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!