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recent entries "My take on Thanksgiving" "Belichick used results from dynamic programming!" "I know he's not to blame, but..." "In sickness and in health..." "Fall Beautiful"
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Sep 10, 2009 40th AnniversaryA few weeks ago, I found myself on the beach with my mom, dad, aunt, and uncle. Sitting on a beach with a book is pretty much my definition of relaxation, so I was doing my best to stop thinking about work and MIT. At some point, my uncle turned to my dad and said, “Hey, do you know what 2009 is the 40th anniversary of?” I rolled my eyes behind my sunglasses and, inside my head, started shouting, “For the love of God, WE KNOW. Man walked on the moon!” But this is my family, so I didn’t shout at them. Why didn’t I want to hear about the moon landing? Because MIT has been celebrating it for most of 2009. It culminated in June with a three day event that included tours and panels and a general space love-fest. The Boston Pops played a special performance of Holst’s The Planets that was only open to the MIT community. Buzz Aldrin narrated. It’s not that I hate space or the moon or Buzz Aldrin, but I was sick of hearing about it. Landing on the moon was certainly an accomplishment for mankind, but when can we have a party for the transistor? Anyway, I was smiling politely on the beach when my uncle asked my dad what 2009 was the 40th anniversary of. “That’s right,” my dad said. “Woodstock.” Aha! Woodstock! Normal, non-MIT people remember that other things happened in 1969! It was so lovely to sit there, listening to them reminisce about what they were doing during that weekend and how they were both oh-so-close to going. It’s truly vacation when you’re on a beach with a book, surrounded by people who would rather talk about Jimi Hendrix than Buzz Aldrin.
5 Responses To This Entry:Post A Response
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Oh dear….
I said “landing on the moon” too, and did not even think of Woodstock.
*sigh*
Posted by: nakoruru on September 10th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Lots of stuff happened in ‘69…. Jimmy quit, Jody got married, and Bryan Adams got his first real six-string guitar.
Posted by: Laura on September 10th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Laura, I hear that he played until his fingers bled, but that could just be a rumor.
Posted by: ndilello on September 11th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Who is Jody?
Posted by: nakoruru on September 11th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
Nicole, I was thinking of going to see that movie, Taking Woodstock, tonight - HA!!
Posted by: Janet on September 11th, 2009 at 3:45 pm