I recently finished reading a book that had been in my library for a few years. I can’t recall when October Sky turned up as I collect “possible” good literature everywhere I go and from every person I talk to about writing. I remember watching the 1999 film by the same name and finding it an inspiriting story. So, trying to nibble my way through my bookcase, I pulled it out a few weeks back.
In case you don’t know, The Rocket Boys—original title—is Homer H. Hickam’s 1950s true story of his teen years in Coalwood, West Virginia, building homemade rockets after being inspired to help the US space program, since Russia was clearly leading the way.
I was differently inspired—though thwarted by being a woman—to join Britain’s Royal Air Force as a fighter pilot. Post WWII England, our parent’s stories of bombing, and the many people we children heard of who had died in the wars, laid a fertile ground for my romantic dreaming. Why shouldn’t I fly jet fighters? There would be other wars, wouldn’t there? Our homeland needed as many pilots as it could muster. Besides, I knew I’d be a good pilot and with an ultimate dream of going to space, I might as well start by piloting earth-bound craft. The RAF said no. Women didn’t have the necessary strength and stamina! Undaunted, I applied to Imperial College, London, and three years later graduated in aeronautical engineering. I figured being close to aircraft would be better than nothing.
Jump forward fifty some years and imagine me reading about our friend Homer and how
he truly did succeed in his rocket building and his dream of working for NASA.
Interestingly enough, he’s now a writer, too. 
His book is a great read and I was inspired all over again. As I closed the last
page, I declared,
“That’s it. I’m going to write an inscription in this and give it to our eight-year-old grandson. Some years from now, it will inspire him to follow his passion.”
I turned to the front page and saw an inscription:
“I found the film inspiring and bet the book is even better. Hope this gives you some fun reading, happy experiences, and the rekindling of dreams, & how we follow them. David.” [Circa 2000 gift to our daughter from David, her cousin in England.]
David talks in his inscription about following dreams. Years after he wrote that, he was awarded a PhD in space engineering and now works for the European Space Agency. He was part of the recent Rosetta Project to land an unmanned space vehicle on an asteroid. Like me, he dreamt of a space-related career. Like Homer, he achieved his dream.
May we all, my grandson included, follow our dreams.