Scrolling through a particular scientist’s social media (Yes, it was a slow day) I came to an amazing photo of space, a slice of the universe featuring our galaxy among many. Many! Even on a tiny screen, the immensity captured me and inspired a deep sense of awe.
When I was a kid, I wanted to be an astronaut. Those were the days when people actually asked what you wanted to be when you grew up. Astronaut was my first pick until I started playing ball. Anyway, I’m getting closer to knowing the answer to that question, but my interest in space and planets and stars has never waned. Seeing the Milky Way on a clear, summer night gives me shivers and I still make wishes on the first star—or planet. Not picky about the sparkling light. (And Pluto is a planet! I did a report about it in 4th grade and it’s on the record!)
Well, that post I mentioned. I don’t read the comments (it defeats the purpose of describing what can’t be described) but it was the first one and really short. So… The author gave their sense of the magnificence captured by the photo and then finished by offering how “insignificant” we are.
Insignificant?
I’ve heard that claim about the cosmos, and it has never sat well with me. How someone could get an eyeful of beauty in such proportion (even a photo from a faraway telescope) and arrive at feeling “insignificant” as a human being…seems like a repeated and sterile “observation” that denies a pulse.
How could any expression of life be insignificant? If it’s one song, one universe then it’s all connected. Touch one, touch all. If you’ve held a newborn, rescued a hound from a shelter, or played a really good game of peek-a-boo, you don’t need any words to appreciate life’s expressions. And Life’s beauty. The sense of awe that shuts us up long enough not to compare, identify, or put in a cup holder.
It’s not a matter of scale. But it is about perspective. Value one, value all. Value the moment because it’s never insignificant, and it’s life’s invitation to notice its significance. The heart of matter always matters. And the Little Dipper and the Big Dipper don’t mind sharing space. They pulse and shine all the same.
photo credit: J. Plenio
