Monday, October 2, 2006

the [real] word from the moon

So, there now appears to be solid proof that Neil Armstrong actually said, "That's one small step for a man..." instead of that same sentence without the article "a." It personalizes Armstrong's experience with the "a," don't you think?
In his official biography, First Man, Mr Armstrong tells the author James Hansen: “It doesn’t sound like there was time for the word to be there. On the other hand, I didn’t intentionally make an inane statement . . . certainly the ‘a’ was intended, because that’s the only way the statement makes any sense.”

Professor Hansen said: “Neil’s not got much of an ego, he’s a very modest man, but I think this really means something to him to have the proof.”

Have you ever been to the Neil Armstrong museum in Wapakoneta, Ohio? I went there years ago, dragging The Wife with me before we were married. We lived in Dayton, Ohio, at the time (although not under the same roof!), and Wapakoneta is only an hour north, so I decided to make the trip one Saturday. I think we went shortly after Apollo 13 hit theaters. I enjoyed it more than she did, but she was in love, so she didn't mind.

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