This past week has me thinking over my career and its highlights. There were some good times and not so good times. Even though my week was a success, it was not without its challenges. I absolutely love supporting space flight and now that we are entering that phase with Starliner I hope they will let me hang around a few more years. Maybe one day I will retire.
One of the highlights I thought of recently is all the people I met along the way. Some famous and others not so famous.
In 1996 while working at Second Baptist in Houston, we had just shut the video production system down after a service when a tall guy walked into the area where we recorded the multi-camera production. I was the only crew left in the area so he came over to where I was finishing up some work and asked if he could look around. I said that it was ok, would he like for me to show him what all we do there. He said he would like that.
The machine room/engineering area was separate from the directing area of our setup. There was glass wall where you could see everything from the hallway. As I was explaining how we color match the cameras I noticed a small crowd building out in the hallway looking at us through the glass. I said, "I wonder what they want?" The guy said that "... they probably want an autograph." I responded, "Why would they want my autograph"? He said, "You don't know who I am?" I said, "No, should I"? He said, "I am Charles Barkley." I gave him a blank look, "....I am on the Rockets." "Not ringing a bell." I said....then I said, "Oh, is that a sports team?" He laughed, put his arm around my neck and said, "I like you man, you are alright!" He went on to say that he plays for the Houston Rockets... a basketball team."
I am glad he added that last part, I honestly had no idea who he was. I don't follow sports.