Well fam, this is it. Seven months of space travel, making terrible jokes, and the occasional *vroom* have led us here.
Anything could happen, I could land safely, I might not, I could land safely and suddenly be swallowed by Shai-Hulud the Great Maker.
So here's some thoughts.
Space travel has a unique ability to join everyone together.
We may come from different places, but on the cosmic scale, we all are sharing the same mote of dust suspended on a sunbeam.
We're all made of the same star stuff.
A great doctor once said, "always TRY to be nice, but NEVER FAIL to be kind."
It doesn't matter your education level, your background, or whether you think pineapple belongs on pizza (it does btw)
Everyone deserves to have their basic humanity recognized.
SCIENCE IS SCIENCE.
It's not fake news. It's not alternative facts. People out there will tell you to ignore the science and "believe" them instead.
Don't buy into it. Any person who tells you to ignore science is trying to you sell you basura.
Listen to EVERYONE in the room.
The loudest voice isn't the most right. Listen to the most marginalized in your communities.
Recognize that some of you are more likely to be listened to solely because of privilege. If that's the case, use your voice to elevate others.
Finally, IT'S OK TO BE WRONG.
Te lo juro, this is what drives me nuts about you humans. You are OBSESSED WITH BEING RIGHT.
You don't always have to be right. And when you have the ability to recognize your mistakes and learn from them? That's like a goddamn superpower.
Be kind. Trust science. Listen more.
Y'all are absolutely outstanding cosmic miracles and deserve the world. You're only here for a blip of time, and I hope you all can make it count.
As for me? I hope I will too. See you soon.
Siempre,
Percy
P.S. Be kind to immigrants, they travel far distances, braving all kinds of challenges and overcoming all sorts of obstacles in the hope of finding a brand new home,
Just like me. ❤️
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After big events like my Pu238-powered self landing on Mars, there are usually critics.
I saw a hashtag arguing that we should spend money on other social programs instead of NASA.
Funny thing is I sort of agree. But before JPL reboots me let me explain...
*VROOM VROOM* THREAD
This is nothing new. This conversation dates back to when Gil Scott-Heron wrote "Whitey on the Moon," while a NASA workforce of predominantly white men were sending other white men to the Sea of Tranquility while Black and minority communities were marginalized.
There are plenty of advancements from the space program that benefited society, but at the time did that REALLY make a difference when you're being evicted from your home? Or if you can't afford to feed your children?
ESPECIALLY when the NASA photoshoots looked like this: