I'm too tired reading this and that, semua yang ngga ada gunanya tapi menyedot perhatian dunia (iya, kita kan pusatnya galaksi jadi semua persoalan adalah tentang kita, kita, kita), baca kata-kata yang buruk dan sekaligus sedih dengan perkembangan dunia (he eh, dunia yang masih memperdebatkan bumi itu bulat atau datar).

But I'm so touching with letter from a boy for NASA, yang dengan tulisan khas 4th grade studentnya dia melamar jadi pegawai NASA karena his sister said dia itu alien (pasti pas lagi berantem nih :P), dia sudah nonton film Marvel dan Men in Black, dan dia jago main video game. Surat ini ditayangkan di sky.com yang saya copas di bawah.

Saya ngga hanya kagum sama kepolosan ceritanya, tapi betapa kuatnya nilai yang dia punya. Dia tidak mempertanyakan kenapa bumi itu bulat (yang berarti dia nyimak pas diajarin di kelas dan ngga songong dengan pengetahuannya) atau khawatir menghadapi alien yang jelek-jelek dan kejam, tapi kepeduliannya untuk melindungi bumi seperti Guardian of The Galaxy. Berarti tu anak ngga mentingin diri sendiri, merasa kepiawaiannya bisa dimanfaatkan untuk tujuan yang lebih besar. Sulit membayangkan anak-anak yang matanya ngga lepas dari gadget, atau sibuk medsosan melakukan hal ini. Boro-boro alien, wong sama human aja beraninya cuma di statement.

Tanggapan dari Direkturnya NASA lebih sweet lagi. Dia memuji tawaran tu anak, menyemangati biar pinter di sekolah supaya suatu saat bisa kerja di sana. Ngebayangin kalau itu terjadi di negara yang suka ngurusin remahan rengginang, surat tu anak boro-boro dibales direktur, kali nyampe meja staff sudah nyemplung tempat sampah. Atau dibales dengan permintaan maaf duluan karena dia belon cukup umur dan belum punya keahlian.

Pada akhirnya saya berdoa, semoga niat baik ni anak bisa terwujud suatu saat nanti. Modalnya sudah bagus nih, kepedulian untuk menyelamatkan bumi, keteguhan berlandas pengetahuan, dan memahami perlunya bermanfaat bagi orang lain.

NASA responds to job application from boy, 9

The youngster receives a letter after responding to an advert for the soon-to-be vacant role of planetary protection officer.
11:19, UK, Saturday 05 August 2017

A nine-year-old boy received an encouraging response from NASA after he applied for the role of planetary protection officer.

The job was listed this week as the space agency seeks help to protect Earth from aliens.
In technical terms, the officer would assist with the "avoidance of organic-constituent and biological contamination in human and robotic space exploration".

The job advert notes that "space flight missions may intentionally or unintentionally carry Earth organisms and organic constituents to the planets or other solar system bodies".
Among the first applicants for the role was nine-year-old Jack Davis. He wrote to the space agency to explain:

"My name is Jack Davis and I would like to apply for the planetary protection officer job.
I may be nine but think I would be fit for the job.
One of the reasons is my sister says I am an alien also I have seen almost all the space and alien movies I can see.
I have also seen the show Marvel Agents of Shield and hope to see the movie Men in Black.
I am great at video games.
I am young, so I can learn to think like an Alien.

Sincerely,
Jack Davis
Guardian of the Galaxy
Fourth Grade"

Jack in turn received a letter from the eminent Dr James L Green, the director of NASA's planetary science division:

Dear Jack,
I hear you are a 'Guardian of the Galaxy' and that you're interested in being a NASA Planetary Protection Officer. That's great!

Our Planetary Protection Officer position is really cool and is very important work. It's about protecting Earth from tiny microbes when we bring back samples from the Moon, asteroids and Mars. It's also about protecting other planets and moons from our germs as we responsibly explore the Solar System.

We are always looking for bright future scientists and engineers to help us, so I hope you will study hard and do well in school. We hope to see you here at NASA one of these days!

Sincerely,
Dr. James L. Green
Director, Planetary Science Division

He also received a phone call from NASA's planetary research director, Jonathan Rall, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, to congratulate him on his interest in the position.
NASA stated that although the planetary protection officer position "may not be in real-life what the title conjures up", it plays an important role in "promoting the responsible exploration of our solar system by preventing microbial contamination of other planets and our own".

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