A leap from cars to space ships

I've been reminiscing about cars, driving, and accidents. Now for a big leap to rockets. I lived in Florida for twenty-eight years and saw how much cars changed that place.

I lived forty miles from NASA, so I also saw all the space shuttles go up, watching from my back yard. They were very small, of course, but I could make them out. I went out into the back yard each time one was launched to watch it go up and took pictures.

I actually saw the Challenger blow up. While I was taking pictures of it, I noticed two small smoke-like streams going up. I took one more picture, but I had the feeling that something was wrong, so I decided to go back inside to watch television.

That's when I learned that the Challenger had exploded, killing all seven of the astronauts on board. What a disaster! I still have that picture.