astronomy

"so what did u want to be.....an astronaut?"
"YES! How did u know?" i replied...shocked....this one seems to read my mind.
He explains it was just a guess.....don't most kids especially Americans, want to be astronauts?
"hmm, i don't know"

Do most American kids want to be astronauts?

i have always loved science. In the beginning, it was earth science.
Doesn't every kid marvel at our earth....nature?
When i could finally look up and understand the notion of "sky"...."outer space",
my curiousity was focused upwards. Stars....millions of stars.....out there?
The sun which rises and sets everyday is not the only sun in the universe.

Universe!
we have a universe! I'm such a tiny thing in the Universe.....
AND the Universe never ends....keeps expanding.....HOW is that possible?
Can God explain all this? Hmmm, i don't think God can
(i said in a whisper so i wouldn't be struck by lightning)
i can let God explain it but i don't think i would be satisfied especially
since he is a not fan of the scientific method.
Proving a hypothesis....even if i asked Him, would God have time?

but
i wanted to be an astronaut
i even contemplated skipping the regular university to enroll in a flight school....somewhere in Florida. During high school, I remember being outside for gym class (we were playing tag football) and seeing the airplanes. One of the city's airports was nearby so planes were always flying above our high school.

and
when i went to college...decided against the flight school because i wanted to keep my options open.....i met a real astronaut....Mae Jemison ....the first woman of color in outer space.

Mae Jemison is actually Dr. Mae Jemison because she also went to medical school.
When it was finally my turn to talk to her (i think i have an autograph too), I had to ask
"which was harder....medical school or becoming an astronaut?"....i thought i KNEW what the answer would be. I was already "pre-med" and preparing for the MCAT (standardized test to get into med school).

Dr. Mae Jemison surprised me.....she said med school was more difficult.
I didn't find it discouraging for my medical aspirations but it made me think.
I'm going to have to be STRONG to get in and complete medical school.
I knew it wouldn't be easy.....especially for a Latina from a low-income neighborhood.
People are quick to dismiss you....to call you a failure even before you fail.
Boy, are they surprised when you prove their hypothesis wrong and SUCCEED.

a Universe.....we have a Universe!
a Latina physician.....we have a Latina physician! (at times, i don't feel so tiny in the universe)