Years ago I did some freelance teaching at the West Brookfield Elementary School. I enjoy interacting with students particularly in the area of SPACE, NASA, and the Kennedy Space Center. Some may recall I spent the winter in Titusville in 1999-1999. Well, tonight the "rosters came home to roost.
Six weeks ago I called on Tom Scrivner at TOM'S ELECTRONICS in Palmer. In reviewing his operation I noticed a piece of Adams English porcelain - a dish bearing the Seal of The Coat of Arms of the US. I exclaimed "I once had one just like it I bought from Blanche Tolman in Gilbertiville 40 years ago for $15.00!"
Today, while at TOM"S ELECTRONICS I mentioned the patriotic plate in passing. He gifted the plate to me along with a 3 volume set of "A MAN ON THE MOON"a Time-Life publication commemorating the 30th Anniversary of our Landing on the Moon and gave me the cherished piece of China. All JFK ephemera was also handed to me.
Tonight, in the confines of my pad I spent over an hour reviewing the history of "ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND". The photographs are truly exquisite.
Innocently, I reviewed other printed materials and thought "Hey, this stuff is very familiar to me!" Everything about the collection stated "BOB POTVIN!" Okay, then the ultimate surprise fell into my lap: My Associated Press STS-95 Press Site Pass #0463 for THE RETURN TO SPACE OF john glenn. OMG! I had put the search out for this last year.. to no avail.
Obviously somebody at WBES, in their infinite wisdom "DUMPED" my NASA materials at TOM'S Electronics! Not good... and I'll leave it at that.
My theme is..students of all ages must learn and appreciate the wonders of our Space Program. Educators fall way short in this regard. I am delighted to have these treasures back in my possession and will earmark them for the Potvin Kids library at Birch Hill.
The moral of this blog is "The only things we ever keep in life are the things we give away."
Thanks, Tom!
ROBERT LOUIS POTVIN
"The Man In The Moon."
West Brookfield, MA 01585
No comments:
Post a Comment