The Gift

 The Thrifty Rocketeer blog continues...

This is a true story. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent.

About a year or two ago, I spotted a post in our local neighborhood Facebook page, asking what there was for a 13 year old boy to do in our town during the summer.

I thought about it for a while and decided that rocketry might be of help.

Coincidentally, a nearby craft supply store was going out of business, as they had been purchased by another chain.  As a result, all product on the shelves were being reduced by 20%, then 30%, eventually 50%  and on the last day 75%.

The store had a very modest rocketry entry. Not even a department, just a space on the shelf in the hobbies/toys aisle.  They had a launch kit, a small box of various Estes motors (A8-3, B6-4, C6-5), a few RTF rockets and that was about it.


I kept my eye on that launch kit and pounced at the last moment, also snagging a variety pack of motors, that featured one of each of the three motors.  As I got up to the counter, I noticed the box had a hole punched in the back side... more of a tear, but it didn't look like anything had been removed.  I bought the motor blister pack and shoved it inside through the hole.


I took the box home and wrapped it in some generic wrapping paper (probably the Sunday funnies color section) and made contact with the mom.  To make a long story short, she was in recovery and living in a halfway house, trying to start over again. She was not permitted visitors, but I could drop something off to her, but not enter the "house".  She was attempting to gather her kids back as a family, and the 13 year old would come over for visits on the weekends...hence, she was looking for things for him to do with/without other kids of his age.

I stopped by and dropped off the package. Her grizzled "boyfriend" met me at the pizza joint that was adjacent to the house, and as I handed over the package, I gave him a few pointers about what was inside...that it required some supervision...that the kit needed a pack of AA batteries, some glue, scissors, etc.  And that the business end of things were the three motors inside, that should be used in order, with an adult present to monitor and launch at the park across the street... or similar open area on a not windy day.

He seemed to understand and thanked me for the package. I also got a thanks from the mother over Facebook.  I had hoped to hear a progress report on the rockets and launches, but didn't hear anything more.

About three weeks later, I was driving over the bridge that spanned the river next to the park, and thought I saw an orange striped parachute along the berm leading up to the bridge. It was a wet, rainy day.  I was going too fast, and followed by other cars, so I didn't stop then.  But the next day, as I left for work, I saw it again, but this time I was ready for it.  I stopped, walked back along the roadway, and picked it up.  It was just the orange nosecone that had been crushed, and an orange plastic chute that had been run over, but was mainly intact.  There was a crushed and soaked body tube nearby that had separated from the  nosecone.  It had rained overnight, so I wasn't surprised by the condition of the items.

When I got to work, I laid it out on my desk and sorted it. The nosecone was toast, except it had a very interesting message written on it in Sharpee marker.

It said, "Good luck on your journey into the world."

Who had sent it?  No return contact info.

Now, I'm 95% certain that this was the remains of the rocket that was in the kit for the launch set that I had given away.  I had hoped that the kid would embrace rockets, but didn't know.  It wasn't my place to recontact the mother and ask how it went, as I had recently discovered the nature of the housing unit that she was housed in... the halfway/recovery building that was well kept but flew under the radar in our town.

I let it go.

I eventually disconnected the shattered nosecone and disposed of the shattered orange plastic, but I was able to recover the parachute, clean and fold it up, tucked away for some future use to complete another rocket.

This week, I had a need to replace a small plastic chute, and found it.  I tied it onto a nosecone and packed it into the rocket, waiting for warmer weather to launch. It felt good to give it a good home and a purpose.

But I've always wondered about who launched it, and how it had been received. Hopefully, they still have the Estes Launch pad, and could seek out another rocket and motors, if they had the funds and the interest.  

I may never know.

This has been the Thrifty Rocketeer saying, save your parachutes and parts. You never know when they'll be able to help somebody. 


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