I remember growing up watching a TV show called the “Honeymooners”. In that show, Jackie Gleason’s character would get mad at his wife and say, “To the Moon Alice.” Well, now there is a nonprofit project called “Inspiration Mars” that plans to send a couple into space in 2018 to slingshot around the red planet and return home. At a cost of more than $1 billion, this would be a 16 month journey for a yet to be selected married couple. They would live in a cramped capsule half the size of an RV, unable to escape for 501 days, with the following conditions: no showers, limits on toilet paper and clothing, drinking water made from recycled sweat and urine, and almost no privacy. What do you think – want to apply?
Imagine living in those challenging conditions with your spouse – unable to take a break from them for 501 days. Most would cringe at that prospect. But I wonder, if we were faced with that – what would we do differently in our relationship than we do now? Would you learn to communicate more effectively or express greater affection? Would you be compelled to choose to be more patient and kind? While we are not going on a flight to Mars nor facing those types of living conditions with our partner, we do have the choice of how to live with them. I encourage you today to examine what changes you would make if you were about to embark on this 16 month trip with them. Because, actually, you have signed up to spend your life with them. Today, choose one thing that you will begin to do differently as you launch into this lifelong journey. What will you change?