Today we’re setting the Way-Back machine for March 1977. The place, the western suburbs of Omaha, Nebraska, specifically, 139th street and Kingswood Drive. And more specifically still, the little sidewalk in front of Willa Cather Elementary.

The Google Maps satellite image of today just breaks my heart. The little elementary school I remember so well is bounded now by an enormous and ugly shopping mall, and miles and miles of continual sprawl. But when I was in the sixth grade, the view from the schoolyard resembled the photo I’ve included above. I remember setting the tips of my shoes to the edge of the playground blacktop, and slowly raising my eyes to the horizon. It felt like I was on the edge of the world.

It was such a pleasure meeting O’s first grade teacher, Mrs. V. last year. She had a deserved reputation as a teacher who was devoted to science and nature and had a classroom packed with bird nests, insects, tree ring samples, and even a real chicken coop. She is also one of those people who are so good at what they do, and it is such a natural extension of who they are that they have no real sense of just how special they really are.

Mrs. V. ran a little classroom program called “Meet the Experts” where a parent or other community adult would visit the class and talk about their job or area of expertise. These visitors might be park rangers, doctors, firemen, etc.

At the end of the first parent teacher conference, I found myself volunteering to take part. Mrs. V. has that effect on people. I told her I was interested in astronomy and that I’d like to talk a little about it with the children. Of course, we realized that it would be so much better as an evening activity so that we could actually go out and see some of the things I was talking about. And so it was conceived.