In Time Magazine's article "10 Questions for Buzz Aldrin", one of the 10 questions Buzz answers was mine!
What contributed to the depression and alcoholism you experienced after Apollo 11? Randy Roach, FATE, TEXAS
Returning to Earth was challenging for me. I was a celebrity on a pedestal, and I had to live up to that. Like actors and writers who are on and off again in terms of employment, I had a very unstructured life. So the alcoholism and depression, which I inherited, were ripe to flourish.
That's an interesting take. How many of today's celebrities suffer the same problem? Why should an celebrity astronaut be any different?
Though I was personally gratified to see my question answered, the question generating all the "buzz" (sorry - couldn't help it) was this question concerning Lisa Nowack:
Given what happened with Lisa Nowak, should astronauts be held to a higher standard? Chad Miller, COLOGNE, GERMANY
Astronauts are not superhuman. They lead ordinary lives and have varied personalities. I think Nowak should be admired for traveling across the country at night and not getting out of her car to put in gas or go to the restroom. It is not excusable, but it is understandable for an achiever to fall into a trap.
I suppose he was trying to say that Lisa Nowack should be admired for her ingenuity and out-of-the-diaper-box thinking, but I'm confused as to what he meant by "...it is understandable for an achiever to fall into a trap." Perhaps he means the trap of thinking that you can fix anything; that you can achieve any goal if you are determined enough.
I think Buzz empathizes with Lisa because he understands the enormous pressures that go with being an astronaut. He knows too well that Lisa, like himself, is only human.
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