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[ MUSIC ]

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>> MY EARLIEST IDEA

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OF WHO I WANTED TO BE

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GROWING UP WAS MY FATHER.

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MY FATHER WAS A POLICE OFFICER

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AND SO I WANTED TO BE

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A POLICE OFFICER.

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AND THEN I SAW A SHUTTLE LAUNCH

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ON TELEVISION AND I THOUGHT,

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I REALLY WANNA

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DRIVE ONE OF THOSE.

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AND YES I SAID DRIVE,

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BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW

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ANY PILOTS OR ENGINEERS EVEN,

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FOR THAT MATTER.

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I AM A PUBLIC SERVANT

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AND I HAVE BEEN FOR 22 YEARS,

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SINCE JANUARY OF 1998.

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AND SO I ASKED MYSELF,

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HAVE I DONE ALL THAT I CAN FOR

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MY COUNTRY AND FOR MY FAMILY?

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I HAVE FANTASIZED ABOUT

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STEPPING ON THE MOON.

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IT'S MY DREAM.

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MY DREAM IS TO WORK ON

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THE SURFACE OF THE MOON.

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AND BEING ABLE TO LAUNCH

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HUMANS FROM AMERICAN SOIL

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IS A VERY BIG PART OF THAT.

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I WAS SITTING AT MY DESK

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IN THE RUSSELL SENATE

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OFFICE BUILDING.

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AND I GOT A PHONE CALL

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FROM A HOUSTON PHONE NUMBER,

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AND BY THE TIME I ANSWERED

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I HAD MISSED IT.

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[ CHUCKLING ]

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AND SO I CALLED BACK

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AND AFTER A LOT OF WAITING

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AND BEING TRANSFERRED,

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I WAS TRANSFERRED TO, UH,

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JANET KAVANDI, WHO WAS

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THE CHAIR OF OUR BOARD.

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AND SHE ASKED ME IF

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I WANTED TO COME TO HOUSTON

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AND COMMENCE TRAINING.

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AND I ACTUALLY PINCHED MYSELF

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SEVERAL TIMES WALKING

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BACK TO MY OFFICE.

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THERE IS NO WAY THAT

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THIS IS A REAL THING.

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I'M GONNA WAKE UP

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AND BE SO DISAPPOINTED.

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WHEN I WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY

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AND I ACTUALLY HAD AN EMAIL

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FROM JANET SAYING IT

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WAS NOT A DREAM, IT WAS--

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THAT WAS ACTUALLY UNREAL.

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[ CHUCKLING ]

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>> HE'S A LIEUTENANT COMMANDER

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IN THE UNITED STATES NAVY

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WHERE HE FLEW F18s.

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HE CAME TO US FROM

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WASHINGTON D.C. WHERE HE

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WAS SERVING AS UNITED STATES

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NAVY LEGISLATIVE FELLOW

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IN THE UNITED STATES SENATE.

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VICTOR?

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[ APPLAUSE ]

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>> BEING SELECTED FOR THIS JOB,

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YOU-YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TO THINK

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OF I'VE GOT SO MANY FRIENDS

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THAT I KNOW COULD

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DO THIS JOB WELL.

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AND-AND THAT FEELING OF,

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WOW, WHY DIDN'T THEY GET IT,

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AND, YOU KNOW, FEELING LIKE

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YOU'RE NOT REALLY GOOD ENOUGH

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CUT OUT FOR THE JOB.

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AND I FELT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

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BEING A FATHER, A HUSBAND,

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ALL OF THOSE THINGS

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COME WITH DOUBT.

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AND I THINK YOU HAVE TO

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LEARN TO GET COMFORTABLE

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WITH THE DOUBT.

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THEY CALL THINGS MOONSHOTS

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WHEN PEOPLE ACCOMPLISH

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SOMETHING AMAZING.

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NO MATTER HOW GOOD

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A STORY YOU TELL,

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PEOPLE ARE CAPTIVATED BY

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REAL WORLD ACCOMPLISHMENT.

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IT'S OUR GENERATION'S

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OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE

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OUR OWN LITERAL MOONSHOT

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AND THEN TO CONTINUE

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INSPIRING FUTURE GENERATIONS

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TO REACH FOR THE MOON.

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>> THEY NOT ONLY HAVE

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THE RIGHT STUFF,

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THEY REPRESENT THE FULL TAPESTRY

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OF AMERICAN DIVERSITY.

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THEIR JOURNEY BEGINS NOW

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AND THE NATION WILL BE

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RIGHT BESIDE THEM