How to Not Be Jealous When Your Friends Get to Walk on the Moon and You Don’t
On July 16, 1969, a gigantic Saturn V rocket launched three men into space. Two of them – Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin – you’ve certainly heard of because they were about to become the first men to walk on the moon. The third astronaut is less well-known, though his role in the Apollo 11 mission was just as critical.1
Michael Collins commanded the main spacecraft, Columbia. He stayed behind while Buzz and Neil took the lunar lander down to the moon, and it was his job to ensure that the Columbia would be ready when his companions were ready to be picked up. So while Armstrong and Aldrin were taking their small steps on the dusty lunar surface and becoming world-famous for taking that giant leap for mankind, Collins was orbiting the moon alone, performing important technical maintenance and preparing to reconnect with the other spacecraft.1
It’s easy to imagine Collins feeling jealous of his companions. I mean, they got to walk on the moon while he had to wait around to pick them up! But that isn’t how he felt about it. He understood the importance of his job, and he understood how lucky he was to be a part of this mission.* Perhaps he wasn’t as lucky as Buzz and Neil, but he was still extremely lucky – far luckier than the vast majority of people who have ever lived.
Collins is one of only 24 people who have ever flown to the moon (also the only group of people who have ever left low-earth orbit, as of this writing).2 Even to this day, less than 600 people have ever been to space.3 And this was not even his first time leaving planet Earth. He was on the Gemini 10 mission, in which he performed two spacewalks.1 He understood that he was extremely privileged and blessed to have the opportunity to fly a spacecraft around the moon, even if he didn’t get to walk on its surface.
Replacing Jealousy with Gratitude
The story of Michael Collins’ role in the Apollo 11 mission is a parable for our own lives. You’re not a movie star. You’re not Beyoncé. You’re not Lebron James. But you’re still incredibly lucky.
You weren’t born into extreme poverty and servitude, as most humans were for almost all of recorded history. You have access to more art, music, and literature than the wealthiest kings and queens of all previous generations. You have been blessed with astonishingly high levels of freedom, health, and opportunity compared to most people of the past and most people in developing nations today.
So instead of wasting your energy feeling jealous of those who have it better than you, be like Michael Collins. Be grateful for the incredible blessings you do have. And then do something to help those who might not be as fortunate as you – both those alive today and those who will be born tomorrow.
*I learned of this story from folk singer John Craigie, who met Buzz Aldrin several times as a child and wrote this song about Michael Collins. I highly recommend listening to Craigie’s hilarious introduction to the song (intro starts at 1:30).
And it’s worth noting that the chorus of the song highlights how Collins was grateful to be doing work that mattered:
“Sometimes you take the fame, sometimes you sit backstage, but if it weren’t for me them boys would still be there.”
P.S. An excellent practice to be more grateful for what you have is gratitude journaling. If you don’t know what that is, click here to find out.
1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Collins_(astronaut)
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Apollo_astronauts
3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_travelers_by_nationality