Getting Your Mind In Gear

💯 recommend seeing with Alan Hunter and Mark Goodman from the early days of MTV. We had a great time last night at the State Theater in New Brunswick, NJ. The music and videos brought back childhood and teen years! Oh the irony of a room full of. 50 and 60 year olds singing “we’re not going to take it”….. at this point in our lives we are the ones giving it

Every generation has THAT moment. The one that stands out in the collective memory of an entire era.

My grandparents had Pearl Harbor. My parents’ generation had the assassination of JFK. The generation younger than me had 9/11. And most recently, the world watched the tragedy of US government killing Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.

Today marks the 40th anniversary of the shared memory of my generation: the Challenger explosion.

I remember sitting in class as the TV was wheeled in. We were so excited to watch a teacher go into space. Honestly? I’m sure the teachers were just happy for a break from the lesson plan, and we were definitely glad for a break from learning!

But a little over a minute after liftoff, everything changed. We watched the explosion in stunned silence. I still wonder what our teacher was thinking in that moment: “How am I supposed to explain this to these kids?”

While the world focused on Christa McAuliffe, I became fascinated with Judith Resnik. I wanted to learn everything about her—a woman who was a career astronaut and had dedicated her life to science.

Even though I didn’t end up in STEM, Judith taught me that women belonged in those rooms. She taught me that if you love what you do, you face the risks with your head held high. I wonder what the generations younger than me are going to lear from Alex Pretti??

Today, I honor her and the entire crew of the Challenger. 🚀✨