The Tortoise and the Axe

For almost as long as I can remember, my father has had a picture on the wall of his office. It features a turtle with an axe dangling precariously over his head. The caption reads, "Behold the turtle; he makes progress only when his neck is out."

I've been thinking about that picture during the news coverage of the Discovery mission. Without Columbia, I don't know if we'd be nearly as worried about every little detail, but there have been a lot of challenges with this particular space flight. But what's the alternative? If we only do things that are safe, how will we ever make any progress?

Now I'm not saying I'm reading to take up hang-gliding, bungee jumping, or tightrope walking. I'll keep my feet firmly on the ground thank you very much. But there are risks that are worth taking...efforts without any assurance of success that still need to be attempted. You have to stick your neck out sometimes.

So come on out of your shell...just keep one eye glancing upward from time to time!