There are times we as individuals feel that we should really get up and be a part of history. If you’re American maybe it was the recent, well publicized elections. Well not my cup of tea, no I am a scientist, I live for the little pushes towards the future. 

I fell in love. Yes in love. With a planet and fortunately it came into full view a few years ago. A Mars sighting was to happen and we were lucky enough to have clear skies and an absolute view. I was elated. This feeling, I can’t even describe, enveloped me. I was about to meet the rockstar of the universe. 

So me being this person with nothing better to do than come home after school, wrangle my brothers, tell them how could they miss the most important moment of their lifetimes. Each of them looked at me, across the room at each other and burst out in a full laughter. If provicial law did not stop me I would have glued their mouths shut. Ergh! brothers! But my parents forced them to come with me, as protection. Apparently there’s a saying: something along the lines of even if he is younger, he is a man. Obvious as it is, it should just stay a saying.

But we set out towards the Science Centre, in shorts and t-shirts, I was excited! On the grounds they had games, giveaways and lots of experiments, to pass the time before night would befall. My favourite was of course the free mars bars, I took as many as my hands could take. Finally the wait ceased, the veil fell and the actors came out. The stars and the waning moon, white and crisp. And then the main player of this dramatical production that occurred every few centuries. Mars looked beautiful, red and distant, it rose magnificantly to a position high in the sky. We lined up straight to look through ametuer telescopes, these lines grew exponentially. It took us almost an hour to make it to the front. I had taken my mediocre 24 roller to take pictures. Of course it was nearly impossible. I asked the telescope man, if I could take a picture and he replied it would not look any good. I heard him but I didn’t listen, pressed the button slumped over the telescope. The night got cool very quickly and my parents had come looking for us, waiting at the outskrits of the action with jackets. They frowned at us for taking so long. It was worth the wait, I replied. And looked endearingly at my camera, it will be worth the wait.

Two weeks later, the film developed, my father came home upset. He told me that half the negatives were developed to reveal completely black prints. He looked at me, how many pictures did you take at that Mars thing?. I lied, none. I was disappointed. But I think we all learn these things at one point in time or another. That no matter the space, the place, no matter the time or the people, no the matter the recording, picture or prose, its always the way you felt. That light-hearted I was part of history, that really matters.

I still search for that feeling, what memories bring are only faint and hasty.