Know how you fit into the bigger picture

When John Kennedy bumped into a caretaker at NASA and asked him what he did, the man replied "...'helping' to put a man on the moon".

That's a genuinely inspiring story.

And it raises the question: how many of us really understand the vision behind what we do in our working lives?

Incidentally, when the caretaker asked Kennedy what HE was doing there, Kennedy apologised and admitted he'd walked into the ladies toilet by mistake!

Now this story, which is so clearly true, also demonstrates how close (but never close enough) to greatness I have been at times.

It reminds me of when I was invited to attend an interview in London, for a job in Human Resources. The interview was to take place on the first floor of the HO building in London, and I arrived in good time.
As I reached the first floor I decided that I would visit the "restroom" (clearly because I wanted to have a rest!) to make myself comfortable before the interview. On entering the toilet I found an empty cubicle and sat down to....gather my thoughts.
However, as I sat there I heard the sound of a woman's shoes outside, at which point I realised that I was both in the wrong place and also at the wrong time.

To be seen wandering around the ladies toilets is not the best way to start a potential move into a Head Office job in HR!!

Had I been seen I'm not sure that simply telling the above story about Kennedy would have sufficed. Well, I was able to "escape" unseen, (or I think I was unseen!) attend the interview, get the job etc etc.

Now, how do we set about getting a man on Mars?