We may never send a local resident to the moon but we can send a local musician's song into orbit.

In what amounts to Planet Earth Idol, or Terran Idol, NASA is letting the world vote on line for the best original song, with the winner used as a wake-up song for astronauts aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor later this month.

Out of 1,350 entries, Darlington Heights' own Tray Eppes and his “Rocket Scientist” made the top ten finalist list and was in third place at last check, with voting to last until Endeavor's launch on April 19.

Talk about tourism and marketing. If there's intelligent life in the universe and they pick up on Mr. Eppes' song our counties may experience a whole other kind of economic development.

At the very least, if “Rocket Scientist” wins and summons the astronauts to another day in space on live television our community will have shed Earth's gravity.

Feeling weightless, even for a moment, is something we can bring back down to our daily lives, and whether the song wins or not. Congratulations, meanwhile, to Mr. Eppes for the fantastic accomplishment of winning his way into the top ten out of 1,350 song entries. That's one giant leap for the local musician and potter and it shines a good light on this community.

Zero gravity might be fun to share.

Leaving the weight of the world behind, and seeing the way things can be, no matter what reality might seem to dictate, provides a perspective that can change that world just a little bit at a time. And sometimes just a little bit is just enough to make a difference.

(To vote, log on to: https://songcontest.nasa.gov/toporig.aspx).

-JKW-