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Don’t miss this podcast. Keith Dunnavant interviews in that comfortable, old-school journalistic style that I find so refreshing but rare these days. I reckon many of us would. Instead of trendily highlighting things that divide us, he focuses on our best human qualities, like courage, resilience, resourcefulness, self-sacrifice, and how some of our fellow human beings have tapped into these strengths to overcome disappointment and adversity.
It’s hard to imagine a better place to start than with this riveting interview with legendary astronaut Jim Lovell. Dunnavant pulls us in through a humorous anecdote (and very clever line about art and life) about Tom Hanks and the movie “Apollo 13.” From there he draws out Lovell’s story as if the three of you are conversing around a table at Waffle House. Not long into it, you feel like you know him.
After learning what Lovell overcame to achieve phenomenal opportunities in space travel, we are treated to his narration of the Apollo 8 mission.
One dramatic highlight is his describing the experience of being the first ever (with Frank Borman and Bill Anders) to see that iconic view of the earth rising above the moon. This is one of several moments in this short podcast that answer juicy trivia questions like why they read from the book of Genesis during that first orbit of the moon. I won’t spoil here, but I can’t resist sharing these these beautiful words of Lovell’s: “Everything I ever knew, the oceans, deserts, continents, everything was behind my thumb…I realized how insignificant I really was with respect to my existence here in space.”
Later on Dunnavant invites Lovell into a deep narration of the ins and outs of Apollo 13. Hearing this story from the horse’s mouth is gripping, and the nitty gritty details of oxygen tanks and canisters and circuit breakers were fascinating to this non-science person (and also thankfully didn’t outlast my short attention span). But what has made this interview stick with me like a deep-moisture hand cream is what came from questions like, “What was it about your training that prepared you?” and “Did you think about the fact that you might not make it home?” When you listen to Lovell’s answers, you imagine yourself in such a situation and have to ask how you would respond. Facing such questions is a good exercise for every one of us, and can serve to cultivate the best of our natures. True leadership, teamwork, cool headedness – just a few terms you’ll hear Lovell use – these are skills we all need to tap into. And we really never know when we will need them the most, do we? My favorite advice: “There is no sense panicking.”
Dunnavant has a fantastic voice for audio. Warm, clear, and intelligent – like a strong parent whose competence gives comfort. He should record bedtime stories for kids. Seriously. I recommend listening to this first podcast on headphones, as the audio (due to unavoidable reasons fixed in later episodes) wasn’t quite as strong for the interview subject as for Dunnavant. But then again I’m nit picky about audio clarity and a tad hard of hearing these days. Just in case, I recommend listening on headphones while walking your dog and saving the next episode for your car ride.
To sum it up, 37 minutes wisely spent and inspiring in impact. This podcast strikes a nice balance of human drama, science, art, spiritual wonder, human striving, and life lessons.
If asked to give this a new title, I might suggest, “Don’t Panic.”
Let’s all take that to heart, shall we?
Next up: DON’T LOOK UP