#write31day - Oct 17 - WAITing to launch

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend an award ceremony for students who are in a Rocket Engineering program at their high school. They work throughout the school year to design and build a rocket with input from their  teachers and several scientist sponsors and mentors.  In the summer they take the rocket to New Mexico where they are given the opportunity to test it to launch.

This year, their rocket launched!

However, they have WAITed a long time for this to happen.  5 years in fact.  Students from all 5 years of the program were in attendance for the award presentation. A couple of years they had issues with their rocket and weren't able to launch. One year a school who went before them had a malfunction and the launch pad was destroyed, so they never had a chance to attempt.

This year's team talked about being in the bunker when it launched....

fire started

liftoff happened

12 seconds it was in the air

...then it crashed. 

5 years of work.

12 seconds. 

Those 12 seconds...they are a lifetime of achievement and lessons.

Sometimes I miss the 12 seconds. Maybe you do too. It seems like the WAIT has been so long, that the reward, victory, gift, whatever it is comes and goes without even acknowledging it.  Instead choosing to tear apart how hard it was, how long we WAITed...but missing the 12 seconds.  

Maybe you can't even number the days you've WAITed for something, or maybe you know every second of time. However, I believe every time the launch will happen, no matter how long the WAIT takes. It might not look like we want it to, and might seem like it comes to a quick crash. But, every second should be celebrated!