Contact Victor Williamson with your questions about simulator based experiential education programs for your school.
SpaceCampUtah@gmail.com

Thursday, August 7, 2008

OBSERVATIONS ON LIFE


Hello Troops,
The Space Center staff are on vacation and the ships are shut down. So how about a few observations on life? Which is your favorite and why? I'll share mine and the reason at the end of this post.

Here we go......

1. I read recipes the same way I read science fiction. I get to the end and think, "Well, that's not going to happen."

2. Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in hospitals dying of nothing.

3. The other night I ate at a really nice family restaurant. Every table had an argument going.

4. Have you noticed since everyone has a camcorder in the car these days, no one talks about seeing UFO's like they used to?

6. You know when you're sitting on a chair and you lean back so you're just on two legs then you lean too far and you almost fall over but at the last second you catch yourself? I feel like that all the time.

6. According to a recent survey, men say that the first things they notice about a woman are their eyes. And women say that the first thing they notice about men is that they're a bunch of liars.

7. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.

8. All of us could take a lesson from the weather. It pays no attention to criticism.

9. Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut save you thirty cents?

10. I'm not 40-something. I'm $39.95, plus shipping and handling.

11. In the 60's people took acid to make the world weird. Now the world IS weird and people take Prozac to make it seem normal.

12. Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first.

13. There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened.

14. How is it that one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire?

15. Doctors can be frustrating. You wait a month-and-a-half for an appointment, and he says, "I wish you'd have come to me sooner."

16. You read about all these terrorists -- most of them came here legally, but they hung around on these expired visas, some for as long as 10-15 years. Now, compare that to Blockbuster; you are two days late with a video and those people are all over you. Let's put Blockbuster
in charge of immigration.



Well Troops,
My favorite is #7. Whenever I feel blue, I start breathing again.
Feeling blue usually means feeling sorry for oneself. Feeling Blue is not to be confused with depressed. Feeling blue is like a mostly cloudy day with sneezes of sunshine speeding along the ground as clouds pass overhead. Depressed is a tempest of billowing dark clouds, teeming sheets of rain and a wind able to blow the 'ust' out of Gust.

Depressed is a seriously over used word. We use it to describe everything from the feelings your get when your favorite TV show was preempted by a speech from the President to walking away from the dentist chair after hearing you've got 4 cavities and need a root canal with a couple of bridges thrown in for good measure. My friends..... Feeling Blue is the correct word for these situations. Leave the word Depressed for something major like death, near death, or a tax audit.



So, when you're feeling 'blue' (sometimes referred to as 'under the weather') follow the advise learned from today's post - Start Breathing! Get up, be thankful you're alive, remember there are many that really do have it worse than you, and start walking. Don't stop until you feel better. Get that blood pumping and oxygen moving and before you know it your Blue Period will pass and you may be a pound or two lighter as an added benefit.

Now, be good and make it a great day.

Mr. Williamson

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

The Joy and Pain of the Space Center.



Well,
Here you have it. Two captains from this summer's camps. The captain of a Voyager mission seems a bit upset. Could the mission be lost? Could his crew be driving him crazy?
The other is a captain from a Magellan mission. Do I detect success written in his expression?
These pictures, in a way, represent the Space Center where every mission is different. Missions can end is success or failure. Where else do you get this kind of an interactive experience that relies on you for its success?
Movies? NO. In a movie you are a captive audience. You watch what's put in front of you.
Amusement Parks? NO. You ride the ride. At the end you say it was great or it wasn't. If you're happy you say they built a great ride. If you're not you say they wasted their money building the ride.
Here at the CMSEC your actions decide the results. Work hard, think carefully through all problems, work well as a team, listen to comprehend and you may be successful. That is the joy of what we do at the Space Education Center. We take you out there, step back, and see what you do to yourselves.
Live or die, sink or swim, succeed or fail - it is all UP TO YOU.
There is no place like this in the world.
Thank you to all that participated in our summer camp programs. Now get ready for there is lots more to come!

Mr. Williamson

Sunday, August 3, 2008

A Message to our Staff and Volunteers

All day I kept thinking how short our vacation really is. Part of me wants the vacation to continue for weeks. Then there is the more rational Mr. Williamson listening to the whispering of the Voyager from behind the door near my desk.

"Come on Victor," speak the walls. Walls that have been there since the beginning and, like me, have heard the sounds of thousands of missions and the voices of tens of thousands of children. "There are more stories to tell and adventures awaiting."

"Yes, I know. There are stories to tell, always more stories to tell," I mumble to myself. My mind reflects over the last 17 years and the legacy we've built. The memory of faces with expectant smiles and contagious enthusiasm comes back to mind. The kids are waiting for us.

Soon you will all come back along with our excited campers. I'm a realist and know that many of our campers look at the Center as a source of amusement. It is good for a few laughs, a challenge and then on with life. Then there are campers whose attitudes energize me and make my job worth the sacrifices. They are the children that fall in love with the place while on a school field trip and never stop talking about the experience. They work hard cleaning and babysitting to earn enough money to come to an overnight camp. They wait and wait for the summer flyer and when it comes, take it straight to their parents to fill out. Soon the day of their camp will arrive. After waiting for months their turn is coming.

My own principles demand I give them 110% of my efforts and attention. I've always done that and try to set the example for the staff and volunteers. Don't forget what a camp means
to these campers! Always give it your best and if you can't give it your best then be honest with your co-workers and ask for their help. You are all dedicated enough to increase your workload so the campers will get the missions they've been waiting for. Our reputation is
built on just that.

Remember, the Space Center is YOU. Without YOU we are nothing more than rooms, desks, and computers. We have no product to sell except our enthusiasm, our voices, our music, and our stories.

In addition to the campers you must also think of your own needs. If you find you are loosing your 'drive' and see the campers as a hassle then request some down time or perhaps a new assignment at the Center. I understand and will support your decision.

Troops, Rest and prepare mentally for a very busy school year. I'll see you soon.

Mr. Williamson