Superman Can’t Fix a Toilet

The idea of the lone Superhero is a myth. We should all aim to be Everyday Heroes, these are the people who know how to fix a toilet.

There’s a story of John F. Kennedy having his first tour of NASA in 1961 during the early days of the global space race.

He was walking with a group of rocket scientists and engineers when he saw a Janitor across the hall mopping the floor with more enthusiasm than he could have ever imagined a Janitor to have.

JFK walked over to the man and asked him what he did at NASA and why he was working so hard.

To the President, the Janitor replied with a warm smile, “I’m helping put a man on the Moon!”

The Janitor gets it.

The Janitor understands that it takes all kinds of people to make something happen. He understands his own role in getting a man to the moon.

His purpose, his why, and his reason for whistling to work every day are part of a larger vision, shared by his fellow employees, friends, and family.

In admiring this story of JFK and the janitor, it becomes apparent that Neil Armstrong was not alone when he walked on the moon. “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” literally highlights the fact that Neil was acting on behalf of humanity and was not alone in his ambition to get to the Moon.

JFK called upon the public to do a seemingly impossible task. He did not simply ask one man to do it himself.

We forget about the people standing next to superman. The thousands that helped land the Apollo 11 astronauts.

Everyone knows who Neil Armstrong is… People recognize the name, Buzz Aldrin… But do you know Michael Collins?

Michael Collins was the Module Pilot who orbited the Moon while Neil and Buzz jumped around on the surface.

Michael Collins floated alone in his small spaceship for hours, while he waited for Neil and Buzz to (hopefully) return.

Many at NASA were not confident that the lander engines would fire and get the astronauts off the moon and on their way back home. As Neil and Buzz drove around on the surface…