Attached to (astro)objects

Some of us are too sentimental. Yes, with time, we get attached to certain people, certain places, certain objects. Not very healthy, mentally speaking? Maybe, but should I do anything about it? I have no plans for now. The point is, those inanimate objects that I have used to observe or photograph the sky, since I was a child, still exert an attraction on me. I simply cannot get rid of my dear first refractor, for example. My father gave it to me, perhaps for my 12th or 13th birthday. Not very good by today standards, but back then it was the most marvellous thing on Earth for me. Terrible chromatism, for sure, but who cared? I was able to watch the moon's craters, Jupiter's satellites and main bands, the rings of Saturn… I learned to identify the planets from the balcony of our flat (facing north-northeast) and then eventually the main constellations and several deep sky objects. I found that amazing fuzzy , weak cloud that is the Andromeda Galaxy. Sure my school friends did not realize that I was the only one among them, probably in the whole school, that was capable of finding, watching, the light from another galaxy. I knew it was probably not important for them, but it was very much to me, and I kept it to myself. Was I scared of looking freaky to them? In hindsight, maybe that was part of the reason. But not all: I enjoyed knowing that I was better than them in that secret and cosmic aspect. And my little terrestial telescope what the gate to outer space. Later my father brought, from Germany, a better telescope, still terrestial. I started to watch and follow sunspots, I found the Hercules star cluster, other clusters, several double stars… everything from our little balcony, studying the two, three great books  that I got at that time, and still I keep as a treasure, yes, very attached to them.

My great three refractors of the last fifteen years (and for a long time in the future I hope)

Life changed a lot then, and the exploration of space gave priority to understanding , maturing and finding my way in "The Garden of the Forking Paths" as master Borges said. Many years later I found the circumstances that allowed me to  enjoy again with astronomy. Initially I removed the dust from my old telescopes of childhood...but soon I decided I had to get something better, I needed a bigger window to outside. The process of investigating the options, the pros and cons, the advantages versus cost… hey, all that is fun, and eventually, one day I got a big box with a Takahashi FS-102. For those that like car comparisons, it was like suddenly driving a Ferrari. Or singing in La Scala di Milano. Or climbing the K2. I got attached to it very fast. Probably in minutes. Many years later, I can say I have enjoyed enormously with that tube, we have shared lots of experiences. Then, with time, the challenges got bigger, and I needed other tools. I got other telescopes. But I was not capable of getting rid of my Taka. It is not with me here, but still is in the family and we get together from time to time, like good old friends. I hope I'll never have to sell it… as I didn't sell my little refractors. All of them carry too many good feelings with them. They bring great memories… isn't that more worth than anything else?

When the Taka was still in the Observatory "Mar de la Frau"