A night for reflection...and a rant.
I don't know why I am posting tonight. I learned that Sally Ride passed away today, and I find myself overcome with a melancholia that I am not even trying to shake off. I mourn her passing for some reason. It may be that it's a reminder of a time when the world was more innocent, or it could be that I am actually saddened by the passing of a hero.
Yes, I said hero. As I stated on my Facebook, "Those who increase the depth of human knowledge and understanding of the universe should be heroes to all..."
What happened? Where did our desire to explore the universe go? Oh, we are doing a phenomenal job with the various telescopes around the world and in orbit, but why are we not going back into space? Why is this no longer a priority? One of my earliest memories was of laying on my stomach, eating breakfast cereal (Waffle-O's), and waiting for the shuttle Columbia to take off on STS-001, and I cherish that memory in a way that even I am unable to put into words.
Perhaps my sadness stems from something else? I just don't know for sure. I simply know that I feel like something priceless is gone, and no one has realized it yet.
Should we give up? Should I accept that things will only get worse? I cannot even begin to accept that. The fire of the human spirit is still there. We just need to wake it up. Nurture the spark that remains until the flames are leaping high again.
There is more to the world than Jersey Shore, smartphones, the Internet, convenience stores, or fossil fuels. There's more to it than Internet drama, bestselling pulp book series, political mudfights, or how we define a word. There's more to it than all the soundbites and meaningless quotes-on-pictures-to-make-you-feel-good-on-Facebook in the world.
Christians. Atheists. Agnostics. Pagans. Muslims. Jews. Shinto practitioners. Buddhists. Jedi. Stop where you are, and look UP. Up is most easily defined as "the direction opposite of Earth's gravity". Look up. THAT is where your deity is . That is why you're here and thinking and reasoning. To stare at a starry night's sky is to stare at the face of God, no matter how one defines that. Atheists, you know that this applies to you as well. I was shocked when I realized yesterday that the most spiritual experience I've ever had IN MY LIFE was the night when I looked into the shitty little refracting telescope I owned, and saw Saturn. The feeling of wonder and joy and humility that coursed through my veins when I realized that light that had been to Saturn had just bounced off my retina is one I will cherish until I die.
Yes, that makes *two* individual instances related to space that I consider spiritual. Quit being so cynical and quit looking for reasons to argue. Just look inside yourself, and see the truth.
I want my heroes back. I want more. I want our government to recognize and acknowledge that space is important. I want to see people get excited for the space program again, just as I did back in my youth.
...and I think I used up all my energy on this much. I hope it's done. I think it's done. Good night, and never stop reaching for the sky.
Yes, I said hero. As I stated on my Facebook, "Those who increase the depth of human knowledge and understanding of the universe should be heroes to all..."
What happened? Where did our desire to explore the universe go? Oh, we are doing a phenomenal job with the various telescopes around the world and in orbit, but why are we not going back into space? Why is this no longer a priority? One of my earliest memories was of laying on my stomach, eating breakfast cereal (Waffle-O's), and waiting for the shuttle Columbia to take off on STS-001, and I cherish that memory in a way that even I am unable to put into words.
Perhaps my sadness stems from something else? I just don't know for sure. I simply know that I feel like something priceless is gone, and no one has realized it yet.
Should we give up? Should I accept that things will only get worse? I cannot even begin to accept that. The fire of the human spirit is still there. We just need to wake it up. Nurture the spark that remains until the flames are leaping high again.
There is more to the world than Jersey Shore, smartphones, the Internet, convenience stores, or fossil fuels. There's more to it than Internet drama, bestselling pulp book series, political mudfights, or how we define a word. There's more to it than all the soundbites and meaningless quotes-on-pictures-to-make-you-feel-good-on-Facebook in the world.
Christians. Atheists. Agnostics. Pagans. Muslims. Jews. Shinto practitioners. Buddhists. Jedi. Stop where you are, and look UP. Up is most easily defined as "the direction opposite of Earth's gravity". Look up. THAT is where your deity is . That is why you're here and thinking and reasoning. To stare at a starry night's sky is to stare at the face of God, no matter how one defines that. Atheists, you know that this applies to you as well. I was shocked when I realized yesterday that the most spiritual experience I've ever had IN MY LIFE was the night when I looked into the shitty little refracting telescope I owned, and saw Saturn. The feeling of wonder and joy and humility that coursed through my veins when I realized that light that had been to Saturn had just bounced off my retina is one I will cherish until I die.
Yes, that makes *two* individual instances related to space that I consider spiritual. Quit being so cynical and quit looking for reasons to argue. Just look inside yourself, and see the truth.
I want my heroes back. I want more. I want our government to recognize and acknowledge that space is important. I want to see people get excited for the space program again, just as I did back in my youth.
...and I think I used up all my energy on this much. I hope it's done. I think it's done. Good night, and never stop reaching for the sky.