Stars

"Stars they come and go. They come fast or slow. They go like the last light of the sun, all in a blaze and all you see is glory" - Janis Ian

Today my night sky got a little darker. I'm sitting here thinking back over the many nights I've spent staring up in wonder and awe at the stars, jealous of those that get the chance to get closer than I ever will to the vastness of space, to God, and to Wonder. Today I mourn and cry for the loss of 7 great adventurers. I think back to the first time I ever discovered my real place in the universe. I was thirteen and a camp counselor in North Carolina. My best friend, Billy Rudow and I heard that the Perseids meteor shower was going to be going on all night, so after we put the kids to sleep, we both went out to see if we could "see a few".
Well, we lost count after 300 in less than 3 hours. And watching the meteors streaking across the sky in whites and blues and reds. Witnessing as the earth passed through this incredible cloud of space debris..well it was as if God was providing a private light show just for me. Suddenly all my problems paled and faded away. I was a speck in something so huge it was downright scary. But it was also beautiful and special and warming and bonding and even a little religious. Suddenly it became quite clear to me than I was a human being traveling on a planet that was flying though space and I gotta tell you... that thought was sooooo cooool. It was the first time I got a sense that life wasn't just how the heck am I gonna pay my bills or I hope I have a better day tomorrow. Cosmic thoughts indeed for a 13 year old.

I've always hoped that somehow I might be able to travel in space once before I die. Unfortunately that dream looks further away than ever today. But the sense of Hope and Wonder from my night amoung the stars stays with me.

I pray for the families of those lost today, but I also pray that this doesn't give those in power a foothold in stopping NASA and further space exploration. We, as a nation, need to bounce back from this and continue outward...out there. Cause there's so much "there" to see. And if you doubt this for even a second just check out the Hubble website. Truly an incredible site. And then, celebrate the things these seven people died for today...and remember.

	Author	Topic: Stars (Read 4611 times)
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