I’m making a confession here. I have been obsessively stalking social media pages for any and all content related to NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission. To be honest, I’ve been experiencing awe and vicarious joy viewing the amazing images of the moon and Earth and listening to the astronauts’ interviews and messages from the space vehicle. I literally jumped up and down in my living room and unashamedly teared up Friday night when I saw the parachutes open for the Orion capsule as it re-entered our atmosphere. Following the journey has been inspiring, emotional, goose bumpy, and joyful….all things I needed right now. I’m guessing I may not be alone in my affliction.
Today I was able to watch some of the astronauts’ post-mission press conference. A video clip of statements from astronaut Christina Koch (a fellow NC State alumna…GO PACK!) has been circulating in social media and I’ve found myself reflecting on her words.
Koch was asked “What makes a crew?” Her response spelled out many attributes and behaviors that make a crew versus just a team. If you haven’t had a chance to listen, visit this link to hear her words. Watch Video Here
She points to the crew members as being in it all the time, stroking together, sacrificing silently, giving grace, holding each other accountable, having the same cares and needs, and then being inescapably, beautifully, and dutifully linked. In a powerful final remark, she shared that from her viewpoint in space, our planet Earth is a crew.
Her words caused me to reflect on my own experiences. Have I been part of a crew? Yes. I thought about doing my first surgeries in vet school, each member of our surgery group giving each other encouragement and grace as voices shook and the sweat rolled down our foreheads. I recalled how my current colleagues showed up wordlessly and without prompt to cover my obligations when my child became ill and needed me. I cherished the memory of working my first VLE with my fellow volunteers, all of us beautifully linked to our mission and cause. Yes, I’ve been fortunate to be part of a crew.
I also thought about what I have contributed to make my team rise to the level of crew. Have I wordlessly taken on a task or burden to help out one of my crew members? Have I given grace when a crew member’s emotions were at the surface? What have I done to foster an environment where my group, my crew, feels inescapably, beautifully, and dutifully linked?
I’ll be relishing the moon and Earth images for many days to come, and I’ll definitely be revisiting the memory of that joyful splashdown in the Pacific. I’ll also be thinking more about how I can help create a crew out of the different groups and teams in my world.
I’m curious to know. What makes a group into a crew for you? What do you see in your crew or wish to see in your crew? How do you show up in your crew? What would be the impact if our team or group becomes more like a crew?
