This really happened:

As the ceremony opened, the stage was shared by Master of Cerimonies John Travolta, President George W. Bush, astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and John Glenn, plus test pilots Chuck Yeager and Scott Crossfield. The presence of these men put a lump in my throat as big as a Saturn Five.

During his introduction, Travolta turned to President Bush and said: "Mister President, not only would I vote in favor of a permanent American presence on the moon, I hereby volunteer to be on the first crew."

Then President Bush took the podium. In case anybody at Hatrack isn't an American, this is the President who gives everyone a nickname. Bush pointed at Travolta and said: "From not on, we're going to call you moon man!"

Then Neil Armstrong said: "But I thought I was moon man!"

And Buzz Aldrin said: "Geez! What does a guy hafta do to be moon man around here?"

Okay, so the writer in me made up those last lines. In reality Armstrong and Aldrin just sat and nodded patriotically. The amazing thing is that the situation really did happen. President Bush really did call John Travolta "moon man" with Neil Armstrong standing right there. The real life Neil Freaking Armstrong!

A magic moment like that only comes along once in a lifetime. Maybe even once in a thousand lifetimes.

[This message has been edited by Doc Brown (edited December 20, 2003).]