--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and…" description: "\"As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. As a student, I wrote English reports on science fiction. And as a fighter pilot, I observed th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/buzz-aldrin-954_apollo_as-a-youngster-i-read-of-buck-rogers-and_2500864.jpg" --- # As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. As… ![“As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. As a student, I wrote English reports on science fiction. And as a fighter pilot, I observed the selection of the Mercury astronauts. All this was fascinating, but I really didn't think I would ever be a part of it. It was only when my good…” quote by Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/buzz-aldrin-954_apollo_as-a-youngster-i-read-of-buck-rogers-and_2500864.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/buzz-aldrin-954_apollo_as-a-youngster-i-read-of-buck-rogers-and_2500864.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8d5/buzz-aldrin-954_apollo_as-a-youngster-i-read-of-buck-rogers-and_2500864.jpg) > “As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. As a student, I wrote English reports on science fiction. And as a fighter pilot, I observed the selection of the Mercury astronauts. All this was fascinating, but I really didn't think I would ever be a part of it. It was only when my good friend Ed White was selected as a Gemini astronaut that I decided to join NASA as part of the Apollo program.” [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early fascination with sci‑fi and astronautics shaped his path, but personal connection to a friend sparked his NASA career. **In simple terms:** Science fiction inspired, but a friend's selection motivated his NASA join. Key Takeaway Personal connections can turn dreams into careers. Themes inspiration career friendship space exploration motivation Mood reflective motivational Type personal narrative career anecdote When to use this quote - choosing a career - pursuing space - making life decisions - seizing opportunities Key Concepts identity formation social influence goal setting Questions to Reflect On - What personal experiences most influence your career choices? - How do friendships shape professional trajectories? A Different Perspective May overlook other motivations like personal ambition or broader societal factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apollo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apollo/) [Astronaut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/astronaut/) [Buck rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buck-rogers/) [Fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fiction/) [Fighter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter/) [Fighter pilot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighter-pilot/) [Flash gordon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flash-gordon/) [Good friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-friend/) [Mercury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercury/) [NASA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasa/) [Pilots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pilots/) [Reports](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reports/) [Science fiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/science-fiction/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Students](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/students/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Youngsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youngsters/) ## Related quotes > [If you need space then join NASA baby…!!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-need-space-then-join-nasa-baby/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's no doubt who was a leader in space after the Apollo Program. Nobody came close to us. And our education system, in science,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-s-no-doubt-who-was-a-leader-in-space-after-the-apollo-program/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Growing up, I was fascinated with Buck Rogers' airplanes. As I began to mature in World War II, it became jets and rocket planes.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/growing-up-i-was-fascinated-with-buck-rogers-airplanes-as-i-began-to/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I grew up watching a lot of the coverage of the early U.S. space program, all the way back starting with Mercury and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-m-godwin/i-grew-up-watching-a-lot-of-the-coverage-of-the-early-u-s-space/) [Linda M. Godwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-m-godwin/) > [“There was a vague feeling within the agency (though with several notable exceptions) that direct ascent would eventually be the answer, but no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/courtney-g-brooks-james-m-grimwood-loyd-s-swenson/there-was-a-vague-feeling-within-the-agency-though-with-several/) Courtney G. Brooks, James M. Grimwood, Loyd S. Swenson > [If the United States commits to the goal of reaching Mars, it will almost certainly do so in reaction to the progress of other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/if-the-united-states-commits-to-the-goal-of-reaching-mars-it-will/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [In less than 70 hours, three astronauts will be launched on the flight of Apollo 8 from the Cape Kennedy Space Center on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jerome-f-lederer/in-less-than-70-hours-three-astronauts-will-be-launched-on-the-flight/) [Jerome F. Lederer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jerome-f-lederer/) > [“The scope and audacity of John Kennedy’s May 25, 1961, message to a joint session of Congress on “Urgent National Needs”—the speech that launched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/the-scope-and-audacity-of-john-kennedy-s-may-25-1961-message-to-a/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [The Apollo program certainly had no real commercial value. It was done for very different reasons and, I think, very good reasons for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/the-apollo-program-certainly-had-no-real-commercial-value-it-was-done/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [Kennedy had made a mess in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. He had to do something to look good. The Apollo program of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/kennedy-had-made-a-mess-in-cuba-at-the-bay-of-pigs-he-had-to-do/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [I guess those of us who have been with NASA kind of understand the tremendous excitement and thrills and celebrations and national pride that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-shepard/i-guess-those-of-us-who-have-been-with-nasa-kind-of-understand-the/) [Alan Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-shepard/) > [I was working as a flight director on the Gemini IX mission, and it seemed almost overnight I was picking up the responsibilities for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-kranz/i-was-working-as-a-flight-director-on-the-gemini-ix-mission-and-it/) [Gene Kranz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-kranz/) > [Millions of people were inspired by the Apollo Program. I was five years old when I watched Apollo 11 unfold on television, and without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-bezos/millions-of-people-were-inspired-by-the-apollo-program-i-was-five/) [Jeff Bezos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-bezos/) > [I cycled on a crew assignment as the backup commander on Apollo 16 and would have flown Apollo 19 on a return mission to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-haise/i-cycled-on-a-crew-assignment-as-the-backup-commander-on-apollo-16/) [Fred Haise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-haise/) > [An idea has no worth at all without believable characters to implement it; a plot without characters is like a tennis court without players.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-jones/an-idea-has-no-worth-at-all-without-believable-characters-to/) [Chuck Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-jones/) ## More by Buzz Aldrin > [You can never tell when a commercial space venture will suddenly become viable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/you-can-never-tell-when-a-commercial-space-venture-will-suddenly/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [A family needs to work as a team, supporting each other's individual aims and aspirations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/a-family-needs-to-work-as-a-team-supporting-each-other-s-individual/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [In space, you don't get that much noise. Noise doesn't propagate in a vacuum.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/in-space-you-don-t-get-that-much-noise-noise-doesn-t-propagate-in-a/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I'm sure the most favorite airplane in my career would still be the Sabre F86 cleft wing , which allowed me to be credited…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-m-sure-the-most-favorite-airplane-in-my-career-would-still-be-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [For every winner, there's a loser. And that person didn't really need to lose. They just didn't understand the game plan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/for-every-winner-there-s-a-loser-and-that-person-didn-t-really-need/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [The society of life on Mars, or the challenge of making Mars more livable, will have significant benefits on our attempts to modify and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/the-society-of-life-on-mars-or-the-challenge-of-making-mars-more/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [Exploration is wired into our brains. If we can see the horizon, we want to know what's beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/exploration-is-wired-into-our-brains-if-we-can-see-the-horizon-we/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [“I believe that every human has a finite number of heart-beats. I don't intend to waste any of mine running around doing exercises. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-believe-that-every-human-has-a-finite-number-of-heart-beats-i-don-t/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [There is very little doubt, in my mind, that what the next monumental achievement of humanity will be the first landing by an Earthling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/there-is-very-little-doubt-in-my-mind-that-what-the-next-monumental/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [ Weve got to go \[back to the moon\]. But we dont want to stay too long. ... The ultimate goal is Mars. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/weve-got-to-go-back-to-the-moon-but-we-dont-want-to-stay-too-long-the/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I want to keep on the move, keep stimulated and challenged.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-want-to-keep-on-the-move-keep-stimulated-and-challenged/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [America can take man to the moon, and America can take men to Mars - and beyond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/america-can-take-man-to-the-moon-and-america-can-take-men-to-mars-and/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I don't believe any pair of people had been more removed physically from the rest of the world than we were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-don-t-believe-any-pair-of-people-had-been-more-removed-physically/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [We have the ability, at such high fidelity, to simulate the physical world through computers. But when the spiritual world or human behavior comes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/we-have-the-ability-at-such-high-fidelity-to-simulate-the-physical/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) > [I do celebrity ski races all over the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buzz-aldrin/i-do-celebrity-ski-races-all-over-the-world/) [Buzz Aldrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) [Explore all 319 Buzz Aldrin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buzz-aldrin/) ## More Apollo quotes > [“I have found it an amusing strategy, when asked whether I am an atheist, to point out that the questioner is also an atheist…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/i-have-found-it-an-amusing-strategy-when-asked-whether-i-am-an/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Kennedy had made a mess in Cuba at the Bay of Pigs. He had to do something to look good. The Apollo program of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/kennedy-had-made-a-mess-in-cuba-at-the-bay-of-pigs-he-had-to-do/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [Apollo?” I guessed… He put a finger to his lips. “I’m incognito. Call me Fred.” A god named Fred?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/apollo-i-guessed-he-put-a-finger-to-his-lips-i-m-incognito-call-me/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [As a former Apollo astronaut, I think it's safe to say that SpaceX and the other commercial developers embody the 21st century version of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rusty-schweickart/as-a-former-apollo-astronaut-i-think-it-s-safe-to-say-that-spacex-and/) [Rusty Schweickart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rusty-schweickart/) > [I think if you were between maybe 6 and 16, there was nothing like Apollo, and I wonder if there can be something like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-stern/i-think-if-you-were-between-maybe-6-and-16-there-was-nothing-like/) [Alan Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-stern/) > [Apollo was a big, unwieldy vehicle. I had a problem with the flight controllers over that. It would try to fare its way like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-schirra/apollo-was-a-big-unwieldy-vehicle-i-had-a-problem-with-the-flight/) [Wally Schirra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-schirra/) > [I used to be a street performer, and performances on Venice Beach, it's like playing the Apollo: They let you know if they don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/i-used-to-be-a-street-performer-and-performances-on-venice-beach-it-s/) [Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cary-hiroyuki-tagawa/) > [I owe much of my success to Seann Walsh. He kept recommending me for Live At The Apollo until eventually the producers offered me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/romesh-ranganathan/i-owe-much-of-my-success-to-seann-walsh-he-kept-recommending-me-for/) [Romesh Ranganathan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/romesh-ranganathan/) > [A typical smart phone has more computing power than Apollo 11 when it landed a man on the moon.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-gibbs/a-typical-smart-phone-has-more-computing-power-than-apollo-11-when-it/) [Nancy Gibbs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-gibbs/) > [Armstrong, sitting in the commander's seat, spacesuit on, helmet on, plugged into electrical and environmental umbilical's, is a man who is not only a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-mailer/armstrong-sitting-in-the-commander-s-seat-spacesuit-on-helmet-on/) [Norman Mailer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-mailer/) > [Have any of you taken a look out at Greece in the last, say, hour or so? (Hermes) What? Are they reacting to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/have-any-of-you-taken-a-look-out-at-greece-in-the-last-say-hour-or-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“I couldn’t say I was surprised that Apollo hadn’t given me a lot to work on. The jerk was known for delivering little to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/i-couldn-t-say-i-was-surprised-that-apollo-hadn-t-given-me-a-lot-to/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“As additional precautions, Kranz requested that a two-hundred-foot radio antenna (called a deep-space dish) in Australia be added to the global network tracking and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-s-f-cooper-jr/as-additional-precautions-kranz-requested-that-a-two-hundred-foot/) Henry S.F. Cooper Jr > [“He saw her eyes bright as stars; he saw her lips, and was not satisfied with only seeing them.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-saw-her-eyes-bright-as-stars-he-saw-her-lips-and-was-not-satisfied/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Among the gods, there is a dispute as to which one of them originally thought of Christianity; or, as they call it, the Great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-holt/among-the-gods-there-is-a-dispute-as-to-which-one-of-them-originally/) [Tom Holt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-holt/) [Browse all 382 Apollo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apollo/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a youngster, I read of Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon. As a student, I wrote English reports on science fiction. And as a fighter pilot, I observed the selection of the Mercury astronauts. 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