I don't necessarily believe that everyone on Earth has the one thing that they're destined to do, either as a single act or as a career. However, in my case, I have discovered the one thing that seems to suit me best.

Back when Comet Hyakutake was in the sky, I invited a few friends over to view the comet, a total lunar eclipse and Saturn. It was a pretty good night to do astronomy. Before long, other people started gathering. When it comes to sharing astronomy, I don't often say no.

Before I knew it, nearly 100 people had gathered. I had my 10" Dobsonian telescope, a little scope I'd gotten at a garage sale, a big pair of binoculars and my small bird watchers' binoculars. I stood in the bed of a friend's pickup truck and pointed out what they were seeing, I answered questions and gave a nice, general star party.

The friend who owned the pickup leaned to my wife and said, "This really is what he's meant to do, isn't it?"

And he was right. I've worked in a lot of places and done a lot of things over the years but teaching astronomy really does seem to be my first, best destiny. But not in a formal setting like a classroom. I had worked in a planetarium before going to college and it was what made me return to school.

For the last several years, I have been the head of a planetarium at a municipal museum of natural history. My skills with writing, computer graphics, artwork and music have combined with my love of astronomy and I can't think of anything that I'm better suited to do.