It shouldn’t be much longer before a date is locked in for the three-day Celestis Enterprise event at Cape Canaveral.

I’ve decided on what I’m going to say during the memorial service, but I don’t think it holds a candle to what Walter Koenig wrote about DeForest Kelley following his passing in 1999.

So…

I have just reached out to Mr. Koenig to find out if he will consider reading what he wrote in place of what I have planned during the Celestis Enterprise Flight Memorial event in January or February if he is able to. I’m crossing everything crossable that he will, or that he will give me permission to read it in his stead.

The problem is that his wife of 57 years, Judy, passed away recently, and I have no doubt he is in immense pain right now, and quite likely unable to appear even if he wants to.  So I’m expecting either no reponse, or a brief one. If he would grant me permission to read what he wrote on July 5th 1999 to commemorate his thoughts on De, I would do so in a heartbeat and in honor of both of them.

So, now, I will wait and see.

If this happens and he will and can speak on behalf of our mutual love and respect for De, I probably won’t be going to the launch.  The idea of spending three or more days in Florida truly gives me great pause. And I do believe that someone better known and more universally loved should have the honor.

But it may be that Fate has designated me as the speaker that day and, if so, I will fulfill my duty, but it will be difficult for me (both emotionally and intellectually), as I will always feel Walter wrote the perfect piece and that it should be memorialized during th Celestis event.

I also mentioned that if he can’t do it, and doesn’t want me to do it in his stead, if he will simply allow Celestis to put what he wrote on De’s Participant Profile Page, that would be fabulous, too.

So, he has three options.  I hope he chooses one of them.  I hope he chooses the one that allows me to stay home. Flying across the country during COVID and hanging with what is likely to be hundreds of strangers for three days would be nervewracking to this shy, reclusive introvert.  Although it’s a great honor, and I would love to see a launch live, this just isn’t the kind of attention I want or would ever seek out.  I was offered the opportunity simply because I provided a lock of De’s hair. That was my sole goal — to make sure HE made the flight, not I!

I’m nervous.  That’s all.  But if it falls to me to do the honors, I will give it my all and hope it suffices.

What an awful responsibility, though!