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So last night my son wanted me to read him a book before
bed. "Do you want me to read you a
book, or tell you a story?" At
first he chose the book option but when after offering him several choices he
had already heard ad nauseum he finally relented and asked for the story. "Do you want to hear about the first man
to break the sound barrier?" He
nodded.
I told that story to the best of my ability beginning
with how many pilots and planes went up to break the barrier and many were lost. Using my hands to gesture the shaking and the
sound waves. As we went up into the
belly of the B-29 he was completely rapt.
Higher and higher, then to step across the abyss of air and space to
nestle into the Bell X-1. I made sound
effects of the rockets firing and described how the plane began to shake. And finally the massive sonic boom and the
heroic safe glide down and landing.
He ate it up! "Tomorrow will you tell me another
story daddy?"
