The Finnegan Papers

Saturday, Feb. 01, 2003 - 11:46 a.m.

space shuttle

I've been watching the news all morning. The Space Shuttle Columbia crashed.

I can still easily recall that day, 17 years ago, when the Challenger exploded. I was around 5 at the time, and watching an unusually somber Peter Jennings cover the event shook me all up. I loved NASA, the way scientists love the Great Discovery -- the way knights pledge themselves to Crusades.

I'm sorry. I'm heartbroken.

They were 15 minutes away from home.

~Finn

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