Upon reading this thread I note a recurring, near-universal theme:
Men want to touch the SR-71.
About 10% of all posts on this thread reference touching it or wanting to, my above post included.
Is it the idea of touching greatness?
For me it went beyond greatness.
I had built a model of it, when I was a kid.
I’ve read or watched countless things on it.
It has become legendary.
Almost mythical.
To actually touch it was like putting an exclamation mark at the end of a sentence.
What an interesting observation! I presume you are a woman and truly perplexed by this phenomenon. I'm a 68 year old man fart, and think this bears some soul searching.
The war-birds of WWII, the SR-71, a Saturn V rocket, and similar things stir deep feelings in me. These are powerful objects, almost religious artifacts. They are beautiful in form, they changed history, and were the products of man's imagination. They bring out feelings of pride, and even jealousy for those who made them and flew them. To touch one seems to allow me some share in their creation and their flights of power and freedom. These are machines that somehow touch a man's soul. Touching them seems like the natural thing to do.
Hey, you guys out there, what do you think about this?