Rocket Boosters? Nah, I Don’t Think So

On a couple of occasions recently, I have heard speeches about how some people in our lives are like rocket boosters. I love metaphors and analogies but found myself feeling not so great about this one. I understand the point being made but I do not like the comparison of people to a rocket booster.

The point of the message is that people may come into our lives and serve in the same function as rocket boosters. They help to push us to higher levels and then they exit our lives because they were not meant to go to higher levels with us. I understand how the comparison can be made but I think anyone who considers using this metaphor should fully understand what happens to rocket boosters after they are released. I also struggle with speaking in terms of higher and lower levels because it is subjective, and no human being is any better or higher than another…but I digress.

The sole purpose of a rocket booster is to be used and discarded. They help propel a shuttle into space. When the shuttle lifts off, the rocket boosters stay attached until they have served their purpose, then they break away from the shuttle. Once they have been used, they become dead weight that needs to be released for the shuttle to continue its journey.

In some cases, when it has been designed and planned properly, the rocket booster falls by parachute and lands in the ocean where it should float and then be recovered and refurbished so that all the materials do not go to waste. If this were the case in every single scenario, I could possibly accept the comparison more easily. The reality though is that not all rocket boosters float, and not all are designed and planned to land in a safe place. The ones that are discarded at higher altitudes are even expected to disintegrate upon their re-entry into the atmosphere of the earth…but we want to say that people are like rocket boosters.

Stevie Wonder, one of the most talented artists of all time taught us this lesson in his song Rocket Love which was released in 1980. He describes an encounter with a woman who was sensitive, warm, feminine, and so much more. She seemed to be everything he had always longed for. He then explains that she took him riding in her rocket and even gave him a star, but when they were a half mile from heaven, she turned that love to stone as cold as ice and then dropped him back down to the cold, cold world. Near the end of the song, he even says “I would not do that to a dog.”

Rocket Love is a beautiful song with painful lyrics. To me, people are not like rocket boosters and should not be treated as such. We are not perfect so there may be times when we are so focused on ourselves and our pursuit of peace and happiness that we may not always see how we potentially hurt others in the process. Some people see what they are doing and don’t care. I’m not sure how people like that think they will ever find peace…but again, I digress. The point is that we need to be mindful of how we treat other human beings and take full responsibility when we do hurt others. It matters.

The way I see it, if people are like rocket boosters, we are saying that it is okay to use people and then discard or even destroy them. While I can appreciate using creative methods to get a point across, I wish that people would be more responsible with this one. The reality is that it comes down to something quite simple that was said in the poem A Reason, A Season, and A Lifetime by Brian A. “Drew” Chalker. I’ll share it with you.

People always come into your life for a reason, a season, and a lifetime. When you figure out which it is, you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed outwardly or inwardly. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, or to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually. They may seem like a godsend to you, and they are. They are there for a reason, you need them to be. Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they just walk away. Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand. What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON, it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They may bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season. And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall, the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME, relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons; those things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people (anyway); and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas in your life. It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant. Thank you for being part of my life...

So, there you have it. People are in our lives for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. My opinion is that there is really no need to look for a new way to get that point across. It is already clear and does not unintentionally suggest or justify treating people like dead weight after they’ve helped us to reach new levels. Life is hard. Let’s make it easier by being kind to one another.

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