Light This Candle

“Man must rise above the Earth - to the top of the atmosphere and beyond - for only thus will he fully understand the world in which he lives.” - Socrates 500 B.C.

Have you ever caught yourself pondering, “I wonder what historical event happened on this day?”

Well, just last week, I noticed my brother's birthday was approaching, he was born May 5, 1962. This got me thinking. With Google at my beck and call, I’m curious, what other events, on May 5th, in my lifetime, have shaped our future?

It was a day for the history books, May 5, 1961. The entire world was watching. A moment in time that shaped the future of NASA, the Apollo program, advances in science, and the direction of America.

Commander Alan B. Shepard, Jr. became the first American in space aboard Freedom 7.

It's storytelling at its best . . .

In the opening pages, you read endorsements from numerous publications and familiar people. But my favorite is this:

“Tough to say what’s cooler: that Alan Shepard was the first American in space, or that he hit a golf ball on the moon. Light This Candle chronicles the amazing life of the brashest, funniest astronaut ever.” - Men’s Health

Listen to this paraphrased excerpt from the book.

“John Glenn was furious. He thought he’d played it just right, made all the right moves, and that he would become the first American in space.”

“You don’t want Alan Shepard,” he said.” The one they call the Icy Commander, with his egotistical indifference, his questionable morals, his disregard for authority, and disdain for the press.

When asked, Why Shepard?

NASA’s gruff spokesman, Shorty Powers tried to explain to the press how “the Mercury Seven astronauts were all exceptional men and among the nation’s most dauntless test pilots.” But one had to go first, and Shepard had what all the others had, with just enough to spare to make him the logical first choice. Whatever that meant.

According to Thompson, the truth which NASA chose not to acknowledge at the time was, Alan Shepard was the most capable of the bunch. As one NASA official put it in the Glenn vs Shepard decision, “We wanted to put our best foot forward.”

So, they picked the best of the best.

Today, May 5th, 2020 I’m calling my brother to wish him a happy birthday and sending out this tribute to an American hero, Rear Admiral Alan B. Shepard, Jr.

This is Patrick Ball, thanks for listening. See you in the next episode.

Comments

We Need Awe More Than Ever

In this episode, Why We Need Awe More Than Ever Yesterday morning, I slipped into the cool stillness of my backyard before dawn. The air was crisp, the silence deep—broken only by the faint rustling of leaves and the familiar calls of birds waking early. Then I looked up. A thin crescent moon hung low in the east, with Venus just above it like a shining jewel. The sky was clear and full of stars, and for a moment, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time: Awe! For thousands of years, the heavens have carried on their steady dance, untouched by human noise. No ruler, no election, no breaking news has ever changed their rhythm. And yet here I was, tempted to reach for my phone—to trade the eternal for the urgent. Instead, I stayed. I watched the moonrise, the sky slowly lighten, and the world around me stir. Ducks passed overhead in a loose V, hummingbirds zipped past to visit their feeder, pausing mid-air as if curious about me sitting so still. Little by little, the static in my mind f...

The Silent Grid–Part Two

In this episode, The Silent Grid – Part Two Sirens split the night as Greenwood went dark. Marvin knew instantly—the blackout wasn’t an accident. It was a warning. In this quiet town, where life once unfolded at a predictable pace, a sleek, intuitive smartphone—a so-called gift from the future —has arrived. But it’s no tool for connection. It’s a silent force, erasing individuality and turning neighbors into something less than human. Marvin Gellborn, a man who values independence, sees the truth. His device isn’t helping; it’s testing him, watching him, and quietly embedding itself into the life of Greenwood. Welcome back to On the Fly . In this week’s episode of The Silent Grid , GridBot tightens its grip. After a hopeful community gathering, Marvin and his robot companion, Norman, notice a troubling absence—the very generation they hoped to reach has vanished into the neon glow of The Signal Box , a youth tech hub pulsing with digital obsession. When Greenwood’s lights vanish, Marvi...

The Pessimism Aversion Trap

In this episode, The Pessimism Aversion Trap Picture this: a room full of bright minds nodding in agreement as a bold new strategy is unveiled. The slides are polished, the vision is grand, and the future, we're told, has never looked brighter. Everyone beams—because who wants to be the one to say, "Um… this might not work"? Heaven forbid someone spoil the mood with a dose of reality. Better to smile, add a buzzword or two, and march confidently toward disaster. That's how the Pessimism Aversion Trap works. Even now, I can still hear the sound—a high-pitched shriek and a digital hum, followed by the slow, rhythmic clatter of data pouring from a 5¼-inch floppy disk. It was the late 1980s, and my makeshift home office (our living room) was dominated by what felt like a marvel of modern engineering: a used Tandy 1000 PC with not one, but two floppy drives. To top it off, we purchased a 'blisteringly fast' 300-baud modem—which, for the uninitiated, could downloa...

History Isn’t a Museum

✨ In this episode, History Isn't a Museum—It's a River . . . History isn't a museum—it's a river, and like it or not, we're already swimming in it. Its waters carry timeless lessons forward, flowing through each generation, waiting to be rediscovered . This profound realization struck me while reading Marcus Aurelius's Meditations . Imagine: a Roman emperor and philosopher two thousand years ago, writing notes that sound like advice from a modern mindfulness coach. When he says, "You have power over your mind—not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength," it feels like he's speaking directly to us. The water may change, but the river is the same. Examining this writing with a fresh, childlike perspective and a wealth of experience, I realize how consistent human nature remains over time. Every generation faces familiar challenges, marked by frustration, peace, courage, faith, baseball, and the search for meaning across the ages...

On The Fly

Search This Blog