
Hidden
Behind A Mask of Disbelief
I scrambled down the tree, running past my older sister sitting on the front porch steps, and as I ran past, I pointed to the star, saying, "Look—look, look at that star! What
do you think that is?" I ran into the house to get my telescope; it was just on the other side of the big oak door of my home, and it only
took me a moment, but, too late; I couldn't get my sights on it. So I stood and watched
sadly, as my star, the first and brightest in the sky, went skating over the western horizon.
I stood pondering what I'd seen. "It wasn't too far above me. In a low orbit I would say. Hmm . ." As it went out of sight, I pointed to my
star one more time and said to my sister, "There! Do you see that! That star has been sitting right above me for the past three days and just now took off. What
do you think it was?" She
had seen it alright; She said, "I don't know; probably nothing. Just a Russian
satellite¹ changing orbit or something like that; it's nothing to worry about; it's nothing
at all." And I thought to myself, "Big sisters, are all too often — thick as a brick."
[1] This technology did not exist in the 1960s. Furthermore, a large Russian satellite, sitting over the 1960s American Midwest, should have been an event of great concern.