Thirty-three years ago today was the last time any human being walked on the Moon.

The first time any human being walked on the Moon was thirty-six years ago last July 20th.

Those were three and a half remarkable years. They seemed to show what human ingenuity and initiative could do when we harnessed our energies to solve a difficult problem. I watched the Apollo missions, and felt optimistic that, in my lifetime, we would make the world a better place for everyone.

I was a space nut. I still am. But, to me, the important thing about the Apollo program was not the moon rocks, or the big rockets, or any of the cool hardware. There was something else — something almost spiritual. The important thing was not that we landed on the Moon, but that we did something very hard. We didn’t shy away from the challenge.

The Apollo missions showed us something we keep forgetting: that we are strong, and smart, and resourceful. We don’t need to be weak and powerless in the face of great problems. There is greatness in us. It shows itself when we have the will to confront our problems.

That greatness should not be confined only to history books.