The Event that Saved 1968..

A few people reading this short article may remember 1968. We saw riots, frustration, political struggle, assassinations, and general unrest. And then, right at the end of the year, Bill Anders took a photo from through the window from Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon. For the first time, we go a glimpse of, well, everything. Perspective is powerful, my friends.

People always ask me about my passion for telemedicine and space. Like most people, I have quite a few passions.. There is a great connection here, as well. Doctor Brooks, my co-founder at Teladoc was, like me, passionate about space travel. there's something else - I would almost never see this as relevant, but perhaps today, while thinking about inspiration in the middle of national frustrations, it is worth saying. My lifelong friend, and Teladoc co-founder is a black American. Together, without color, we built something that ultimately helped save lives during this Corona virus.

The picture shown here is Dr. Brooks in his tent during our climb of Africa's highest peak, Kilimanjaro.

But, aside from the inspiration, that is not what this story is about.

In a very real sense, Space and Telemedicine are connected. Prior to building Teladoc with me, Doctor Brooks and his wife spent time as flight surgeons. Imagine taking care of astronauts in outer space while sitting at Mission Control in Houston! That is telemedicine, and and the tech/experience translated directly into the formation of Teladoc.

This country has so much to be proud of, and yet, we are transfixed by the struggles that surround us.

Or are we?

We have a choice: fall into the pit of struggles, or find opportunity, and save the world. Somewhere, at this very minute, something amazing is happening. Someone is diligently working to change everything.. For example, as I write this, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are sitting in the SpaceX Crew Dragon, in orbit and heading for the Space Station. We can turn our eyes to the heavens and be inspired by one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of mankind. This is not just another launch. This marks the first time a private citizen has built a space craft that will put humans into orbit.

Ladies and gentlemen, this changes everything.

When Anders, Borman, and Lovell went to the Moon in 1968, they gave us the opportunity to look at the bigger picture. We stopped, and focused on the future, and we were inspired. There were many times, while building Teladoc that we got knocked down and kicked in the teeth. We always got up with a smile, and went at it again. We recognized that sometimes the plan does not work, but we always kept the goal. My friends around the US and the world, let's keep the goal.

Keep the goal..

If you haven't already, please connect, join us at Back To Space, and help us change the world. If space is of interest to you, I invite you to join our WeFunder investment: https://wefunder.com/BackToSpace/ or contact me directly.