Space travel is one of the ideas I grew up with.

According to the fine print the red man in the suit is Nikola Tesla (1856-1943). The other one is Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. The American bill is series 1999. The other one has a 1993 on its back, along with some stuff in an alphabet I don't know how to use. One character in The Door Into Summer is based on Tesla, whom Heinlein met not long before writing this book, during the time they both lived in Colorado.

There is a lot of "churn" associated with American culture. After I had been an adult for a while, I started to contemplate why this is. Part of it is the need to "keep hope alive," forgetting the pain and remembering the good times. Another part of it is that in a land where free speech is sacred, our best storytellers can tell as tale so compelling that reality can't compete. Growing up, I went far out of my way many times looking for more Heinlein books to read. I didn't connect with Chief Black Hawk until much later, even though his story was incredible by real world standards. Has it ever occurred to you, dear reader, that history might need a vision correction?

A Penny for your thoughts...