I don’t know about you, but I could never live
in those rocket ships astronauts travel in space with.

Instead of being a space cowboy, I’d be a space coward.

For example, the Boring Starliner rocket that the
astronauts were trapped in for over 9 months
was 390 cubic feet.

It was no larger than a small room or a large closet.

I’d get claustrophobic in such a small space
for even a day.

I’d fear things that could go wrong in space,
a barely known place.

I’d fear being blown up in a take off explosion blast.

I’m nowhere near as brave as those fearless
space travelers.

But I would be heroically brave in other circumstances.

Without hesitation, I would have taken a bullet for a young woman I used to work with.

I was too old for her for a romance, even though I know she had a crush on me, and I would have wanted to be with her if there hadn’t been over 40 years between us.

I had something close to unconditional love for her.

Because I’d lived a full life, I easily could have afforded to die for her.

I could not bear the thought of her hopes, dreams, her life ending in such a horrible way.

Despite that gallant thought, which I would have gone through with instantly,

I’d be a coward in living like the brave astronauts traveling in a rocket ship no larger than a small room.

Bob Boyd